12.21-Strong leadership and strong love includes strong discipline.

12.21-Strong leadership and strong love includes strong discipline.

We were told at the beginning of the Cowboy season that we had playoff caliber players and coaches. I’m not sure of this right now. In my opinion and from what I have seen on the field and on the sidelines in the last few games I would say that the leadership of the team is not in good hands.

The path to respect is not to threaten action, but to take action. I once watched an NFL coach, Wade Phillips, fire one of his players for being late to practice. I saw it personally and then I saw the parts of the firing that went on television. I happened to be at a Broncos news conference in person as anniversary gift to my wife. At the time I had a political talk radio program on a commercial radio station in Denver in the year 1989 with a media press pass. 

The player fired for being late was not a superstar, but a marginal player but I’m guessing that him being released for being late made a strong point to the other players. Threats don’t work. Jesus teaches leaders not to threaten action. Jesus teaches taking action. Taking action causes leadership to be respected. Threats don’t work. Loud threats don’t work. Actions work.
My dad never threatened to whip me. I don’t think it happened one time. He whipped me only one time that I remember and I still remember it vividly.

John 2.
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a [f]place of business.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.”

1 Peter 2.
22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 [a]and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself [b]bore our sins in His body on the [c]cross, so that we might die to [d]sin and live to righteousness; for by His [e]wounds you were healed.

We made many mistakes in raising our children, but they have forgiven us and we have a great relationship with them today. What they have affirmed us in our parenting is that we had a degree of respect from them because we didn’t just threaten painful discipline for their behavior that hurt themselves and our family, but that we dealt out the painful discipline to them. For this I am thankful for God’s direction and His mercy.

Strong leadership and strong love includes strong discipline.

Larry Wishard
12.10.19