I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this. Frankly, I’m not sure what I think of it. While I need to be a dad who’s willing to discipline my kids, I also want to be approachable. I want to have a loving and kind relationship with my kids, so they feel safe coming to me when they need to. As you can imagine, there are dangers. If we only view ourselves as our kid’s friend, parental discipline is avoided because we’re worried they won’t like us. If we don’t care about their feelings and rule with an iron fist, we can push them away. Let’s be like our Heavenly Father as we discipline our kids. Discipline isn’t easy —it hurts. But it makes us who He wants us to be.

Suggested Reading: Proverbs 12:1, James 1:2-4, Hebrews 12:11