This week, the big news was about the arrest of King Charles’ brother, the former Prince Andrew. It is believed he was arrested because of his close connections to Jeffrey Epstein and his sex trafficking operation of minors.
Unfortunately, his power and wealth impaired his judgment when he was younger, and now it is causing him a lot of grief and hardship later in life. It is a sad truth that many people fail to learn from the mistakes they made in their youth.
Wisdom encourages us to learn and not repeat our childish ways. The truth is that regardless of who we are, there are always consequences to our selfish actions (Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1, 2 Timothy 3:14-15):
- Spiritual
- Physical
- Emotional
- Legal
To be honest, when I was younger, I did a lot of stupid things while I was away from church and my faith. It was God’s love and discipline to get me back on the right side of the track. Although my accident was the toughest experience I have had in my life so far, I know God was using it for my good (Genesis 50:20, Romans 8:28)
I have also learned to share my story of hardship with others to try to encourage them not to give up, but to endure God’s loving correction (Job 5:17-18, Hebrews 12:5-11). God loves us too much to leave us in our selfish and sinful ways (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). Hopefully, Prince Andrew will finally learn from God’s perfect discipline (Psalm 94:12).
What Is Discipline
We often think of discipline as punishment or a very bad experience. Discipline isn’t necessarily bad. God uses it to help us learn the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Discipline is defined as “Control gained by enforcing obedience or order: self-control or punishment.” Discipline is a means to learn things the hard way.
When we were younger, we viewed discipline as painful punishment, but as we grow and mature, we understand that it is a beneficial form of correction.
Parents and leaders want those under their authority to mature and grow in life. Discipline is an effective way of teaching and helping others grow. Sometimes growth only comes through pain and suffering.
That is why the Bible has a lot to say about discipline and correction (Proverbs 12:1, 2 Timothy 3:16, Revelation 3:19). Just like when we were little kids, we needed help learning about and growing in our faith (1 Corinthians 13:11, James 1: 5).
God’s people must grow in their faith and relationship with God (Hebrews 6:1; 12:1-2). The process of being made in God’s image means we must be changed and change our selfish ways (Genesis 1:27, Romans 12:2, James 1:22-25-1 Peter 1: 14-16).
God uses discipline to correct and prune us as His children (John 15:1-2, 1 Corinthians 11:32, 1 Peter 2:5, Revelation 3:19). Jesus and the apostles remembered their Jewish education about God’s discipline.
Mûsār
The Torah tells us how God originally created mankind in His image to do His will (Genesis 1:26-28; 9:6). Because of man’s sinful heart, he disobeyed God and listened to Satan (Genesis 3:1-6).
Because mankind chose to disobey God and do the wrong thing, God had to discipline mankind (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:14-19). The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for discipline is mûsār, and it can also mean “Instruction, correction, check, chasten, bond, or doctrine,” depending upon the context it is used in.
God doesn’t just discipline us for punishment, but to help us get back on the right path in life and to grow closer to Himself (Deuteronomy 8:5, Job 5:17, Psalm 94:12, Proverbs 3:11-12). That is why discipline is important in Judaism.
Judaism uses discipline to teach and train God’s people to learn God’s ways to grow spiritually:
- A warning before punishment
- Avoiding physical harm
- Encourage obedience to God
- Moral refinement
- Learn self-discipline
Jesus continued this Jewish idea of discipline by calling His own Disciples to learn God’s ways from Himself (Matthew 4:18-22). Our Lord emphasized disciplining ourselves (Matthew 5:29-30).
He also taught His followers to use self-control in their thinking and good works (Matthew 6:1-34). The very basis for following Jesus means we must deny ourselves daily and not listen to our flesh or our sinful hearts (Matthew 16:24)
). He taught the need for God’s people to repent and turn from their selfish ways if they wanted to go to heaven (Matthew 4:17). Our Lord emphasized correcting ourselves before correcting others (Matthew 7:1-5). Correction is something mature believers accept and want from others.
Supreme Court
In other big news this weekend, the Supreme Court issued a judgment against President Trump to correct him on his power to issue tariffs. In their decision, they concluded that the president had abused his powers to issue tariffs.
These constitutional scholars have the expertise to interpret and enforce our Constitution, the law of the land. This is why America does not want or have dictators as rulers; our government is made up of a system of checks and balances to make sure no one abuses their powers or position.
Unfortunately, the president doesn’t understand how our government or the Constitution works. True to his power-hungry and childish nature, the president threw a temper tantrum over the court’s decision and chose to still impose his selfish and illegal will by finding other ways to impose tariffs on the American people. Each day, he shows the whole world his true character:
- Power-hungry
- Deceptive
- Greedy
- Prideful
Remember, it wasn’t long ago when he declared he was only limited by his own morals and standards. I am almost embarrassed to see a nearly 80-year-old man act so childish and selfish.
The president’s pride and ego are on display for the entire old world to see. Unfortunately, his supporters refuse to admit it as long as he is telling them what they want to hear.
The Bible has nothing good to say about those who refuse instruction and correction (Proverbs 5:12-14; 9:7-9; 12:1; 13:18; 15:13). True followers of God are willing to accept instruction andmûsār!
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