Fiddle vs. Violin? Staff vs Rod?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr Kyfingers@aol.com
INTRODUCTION:
Seems many people today do not know the difference in punishment and correction. I was speaking at a church in Clinton, Ky. The Sunday School teacher did a very good job. In his lesson he said there should be a role in the church for correction and rebuke. He said this should be taken seriously and not without prayer
and wisdom, but he said we need a balanced correction system within the church.
I thought much on these words. I agree with him, and he started me thinking and pondering. What is good correction? Is punishment within itself correction? The more I thought, I concluded that often parents punish their kids but rarely correct them. I started a Bible study and we did this lesson at church.
What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin?
NOTHING! They are the same instrument, tuned the same way.
If you play Boil the Cabbage Down Boys, it is a fiddle.
If you play Mozart’s concerto #18 it is a violin.
This is also true of the rod and the staff, the rod is punishment; the staff is correction.
Psalms 23: 4 Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
I. IF WE FORGET THE LESSON ON CORRECTION FROM WITHIN
WE MIGHT BE IMMATURE AND EASY TO FAINT. THERE IS A ROLE OF PROPER EXERCISE TO DEVELOP SELF DISCIPLINE THAT CORRECTS AND IS MORE THAN JUST PUNISHMENT.
Let’s see what the Bible says:
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as children, My Son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou are rebuked of Him: 6: For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He
receiveth. 7: If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as sons, for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8: But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards
(illegitimate) and not sons. 12: Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised
thereby.
II. DEFINITIONS:
A. CHASTISE: to inflict punishment to correct; to pay a penalty, alter -- change
B. PUNISHMENT: 1) suffering, pain, loss that serves as retribution. 2) penalty inflicted on an offender
C. DISCIPLINE: instruction that develops; training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character; control gained by OBEDIENCE; self-control; system of rules, pattern of behavior; to bring under control; to keep your actions and words under close control
D. REBUKE: to call to account bad behavior, reprimand; to return to corrected behavior; strong disapproval
E. CORRECTION: to set right, remove errors, RECTIFICATION, agree with right to bring to a standard; something substituted in place of what’s wrong, rehabilitation, reform and improvement
III. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY LETS LOOK AT TWO
KINDS OF DISCIPLINE.
A. DISCIPLINE BY OTHERS
Growth within it self is not a goal. We could have 270 pound babies that can do nothing mature.
Discipline by others is a mark of immaturity. It is embarrassing to be corrected by others.
A discipline that goes along with the crowd and peer pressure can be dangerous, going with a crowd can be immaturity?
This could be like the lizard, a chameleon that can change it’s color with whatever environment it is in?
Children are often corrected by their parents, by their teachers, or by authority.
It is a true mark of immaturity when other people have to correct you all the time.
B. SELF DISCIPLINE
Self-discipline: correction or regulation of oneself for the sake of improvement should be our goal.
What your character is -- in the dark! Enjoy what you ought, hate what you ought.
Every teacher, every parent should focus their work on developing each individual to correct and improve without external correction.
C. Once I was teaching in an elementary school and a girl caused some serious problems. She came in the office and gave me a sob story so I let girl off as she cried, I thought she had learned her lesson. Later on break, I was walking down the hall, passed the bathroom door and I heard through the vents, the girl was bragging all you have to do when you get in trouble is cry and Mr. Hughes will let you off. In a few days, she was back in the office and turned on the tears, and I knew her manipulation skills and this time she was in trouble.
D. A few years later I taught school and the 6th grade teacher called a boy out in the hall and had me come out into the hall to witness corporal punishment.
The teacher then spanked himself with the paddle. The boy and I just stood there and watched. The boy laughed, seemed this punishment did little to
correct bad behavior.
IV. LET US EXAMINE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUNISHMENT
AND CORRECTION
A. PUNISHMENT:
*** focuses on bad behavior
*** is usually given in anger
*** and usually received in anger
*** often offered on the spur of the moment with little thought
*** it is usually hot
*** it looks to the past
*** The behavior stays the same
*** Punishment focuses on the bad past
*** it often breaks the spirit
*** and works in reverse of the desired outcome
*** Punishment often leaves mental and emotional scars
*** Punishment often pushes those you love away
*** It can produce a rebellious spirit
*** Often punishment lacks forgiveness
B. CORRECTION:
*** Correction should focus on good
*** Don’t say you are a bad boy, say what you have done is bad.
*** Correction looks ahead to grow and develop
*** Correction is offered in a loving spirit
*** Correction’s goal is repentance
*** Correction should be corrective
*** Correction freely reaches in forgiveness
*** Correction brings change for the good
*** Correction brings healing
*** Correction teaches a better way and fosters environment of growth
V. IT IS HARD TO UNLEARN AN INVALID CONCLUSION.
A. The last day of school I had the students write an honest note to me. A girl named Debbie wrote a touching paper, but she started out with, Mr. Hughes, you sure learned me a lot this year. How many times had I told them, only you can learn, someone
else teaches you. Oh, well I never got her life long English habits broken.
B. Imperfect practice makes an imperfect lesson.
If you learn 2+2=5, every Math problem that has 2+2 in it, you will miss.
You learned, but you learned it all wrong! Make sure to reinforce right behavior.
We can learn wrong? Stay wrong? We need more than punishment, we need correction.
VI. WHAT IS THE GOAL OF CORRECTION?
Prisons and jails can be corrective, but with a 70% return rate, prisons are just punishment. But whether the prison is corrective or punishment is up to the inmate.
Rev. 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent...
VII. CHASTISEMENT IS THE MARK OF A TEACHER’S LOVE. Prov. 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of
His correction: 12: For who the Lord loveth He correcteth, even as a Father the son in whom he delighted.
VIII. LET US LOOK AT A SHEPHERD’S ROD AND A
SHEPHERD’S STAFF?
A. What is the difference between a fiddle and a violin?
NOTHING! They are the same instrument, tuned the same way.
If you play Boil the Cabbage Down Boys, it is a fiddle.
If you play Mozart’s concerto #18 it is a violin.
B. This is also true of the rod and the staff, the rod is punishment; the staff is correction.
Psalms 23: 4 Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
C. Ever seen the picture where Jesus is carrying the little lamb? The little lamb was rebellious, the Shepherd used the crook in his staff
to pull the lamb to safety, the lamb wandered again, habitually he wandered away into dangerous areas.
Finally the Shepherd takes the staff and now uses it as a rod, and hit the lambs leg until it hurts to walk, now the shepherd carries the little lamb from green pasture to the still water to green pasture and the lamb learns the love of the shepherd and stays in reach of the staff, where the rod need never to be applied again.
IX. Correction’s Goal...Look ahead...repent ...
CORRECT --- CHANGE
Psa. 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
A. contrite: repentant, grieving-penitent for sin/shortcoming to feel sorry for words/action; humble, regretful pain for offenses, reconciliation
B. How shall we react to offenses, disappointments and down right rebellion?
C. Once in a time of counseling a young wife and mother said she hated her husband and she wanted to kill him, after several sessions of hearing she
wanted to kill him, I was frustrated and could not get her to change that attitude.
In one session, I laid a 38 Pistol (there was no bullets in it) on the desk and said kill him, I will be the witness and you will go to prison for life. She cried, I don’t want him dead, I am just angry.
I would never do that again, but I wanted her to see the trap of her words. Neither would accept correction, it was always the other one’s fault?
X. WHY WOULD A GARDENER PRUNE A TREE?
John 15:2 Every branch is that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
A. You know how to get a mom rabbit to accept a baby not hers? You rub Vicks on the baby and then on the baby’s nose. We got a goat to feed a calf by rubbing Vicks on their noses.
B. Sometimes we must see how we are alike and build on agreement, much more than fussing over our differences.
XI. DO YOU REFUSE CORRECTION AND PUSH YOURSELF TOWARD PUNISHMENT?
A. People will pay to see those self-disciplined --- discipline musicians? Athletes? Skaters?
B. Cain never corrected his attitude and sin---
Gen. 4:13 And Cain said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear.
C. The punishment of Hell is not corrective, but rather resigned to torture...
XII. REFINEMENT AND CHASTENING IDENTIFY WHO
THE FATHER IS!
A. As refine of Silver-Gold?
Prov. 3:11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of correction.
Prov. 15:10 Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way, and he that hateth reproof shall die.
B. Lack of Trust - lack of correction
Zephaniah 3:2 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord, she drew not near to her God.
C. Don’t wait for others or God to have to punish you, come and lay at the foot of the altar and allow the Holy Spirit to correct you!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
