How To Save A Life
He then said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. Matthew 8:26
Jesus did not get up and politely ask the wind and sea to stop. He did not beg and plead for the wind and sea to stop. He did not bargain or make a deal with the wind and sea to stop. Instead Jesus stood up in His authority rebuked the wind and the sea and it became perfectly calm. The definition of rebuked is a sharp, stern disapproval of; reprimand; admonish. Jesus did not mess around with the storm. He exercised His authority and immediately the winds and sea became perfectly calm.
If I’m honest, sometimes I am afraid to discipline my children. My greatest fear is that it will ruin our relationship. So when discipling, I tend to exercise more of the merciful, kind and gentle Jesus and not the rebuking, firm and stern Jesus. But as we can see, a stern rebuking has the power to calm things down quickly and it will actually save lives and not destroy them. As parents, we need to rebuke our fear of discipline so our children will live and enjoy a happy life!
Bottomline: We should never be afraid to exercise our authority over our children and sternly disapprove of their wrong behavior. It will not harm them, it will save them.
Proverbs 23:13, Proverbs 3:12, Proverbs 19:18
Wynter Kettlewell 