This week in Life Group, we each shared one word to describe our week. Mine? Tested.
Tested in my responses.
Tested in my reactions.
Tested in whether I’m actually forming my children—or just trying to control them.
And that led me back to a needed reminder: discipline only makes sense when it’s rooted in the story of God.
Discipline as Discipleship in the Story of God
Scripture is full of human failure—rebellion, misbehavior, sin. But that’s not the main storyline. The dominant theme is this:
God meets our failure with love and moves toward us at great personal cost.
As author Justin Whitmel Earley put it, “God’s response to our misbehavior is to love us back into relationship.”
That’s the biblical pattern:
Love (creation)
Misbehavior (the fall)
Sacrifice (redemption)
Restoration (consummation)
So when we discipline our children, we are not stepping outside that story—we are meant to mirror it. Discipline is not the end goal. Discipleship is. Always moving toward love, repentance, and reconciliation.
Sounds good doesn’t it?
But how do we go from knowing this in our minds, to faithfully practicing it?
That’s the challenge. And what will be the subject of next week’s newsletter, revisiting practical habits we can cultivate to move us from discipline to discipleship.
But for now, take this week to ponder:
Where am I being tested right now—and what might God be forming in me through it?
What does God’s response to my own failure reveal about how I should respond to my child’s?
What would it look like to let His story—not my instincts—shape my response?
This parenting journey may feel testing and tough at times—but it is never detached from the story of God.
Remember, dear parent, you are not just managing behavior. You are participating in redemption.
And that thought alone has the power to shift the posture of our hearts. And change everything.
From My Heart and Home of Glory to Yours,
Ali
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Homes of Glory provides biblical encouragement & practical tips to help families stay grounded and growing in Jesus Christ.
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