Punishment versus Discipline

I have started reading the book The Search For Significance by Robert S. McGee.  It is a book about who you are in Christ.  The book talks about how our relationship with God is influenced by our childhood and our relationship with our parents.  Obviously parents are human, sinners and make bad decisions so no one comes out of childhood without some scratches and scars. 

My Aunt Judy and Dr. James Dobson both influenced me upon this as our children were growing up, especially when it came to discipline.  Discipline is different than punishment.  Discipline teaches, punishment makes you pay. 

Robert S McGee has a table of the difference:

                                                              Punishment                    Discipline
Source:                                                  God's wrath                   God's love
Purpose                                                 To avenge a wrong        To correct a wrong
Relational Result                                 Alienation                       Reconciliation
Personal Result                                    Guilt                               A Righteous Lifestyle
Directed Toward                                   Non believers                His Children

So when your child does something wrong are you going to punish or discipline your child??  God always has our best interests and our relationship with Him in mind when He disciplines us.  Some things to keep in mind when disciplining your child:

Am I discipling or punishing?
Am I just mad because my child embarassed me?
Is this a childish thing or defiance?
How can I teach my child from this incident?
Is my relationship with my child being strengthened by my actions?

Hebrews 12:11  No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.