This negative advice is essential if the obedience required of the children is to rest on a moral basis. The SDA Bible Commentary , vol. There is great strength and blessing in praying together in our families, with and for our children. I have never found it necessary after that to punish them. Examine your heart and your conduct to determine how you need to improve your child training.
Independence is an instinctive aspect of human nature.
We feel that we can handle situations alone quite successfully. In our haste to do things our own way, we ignore Christ. But by relying on Him, we can do everything we need to do. A disciplined disciple studies His Word to understand His will, chooses to follow that will, and relies on His power to resist temptation. Discipline also has practical, everyday connections, for God wants our temporal lives to be successful, even as the spiritual lives prosper.