Discipline, or Death?

Bill Brown ... Xiamen University
"Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death." Proverbs 19:18 NIV

"The emperor as well as an ordinary man must first develop self discipline." Confucius

I've probably read Proverbs 19:18 a dozen times, but even so I was shocked this morning when I read it and realized that, had I failed to discipline my sons as they were growing up, I would have been a "willing party" to their deaths! My discipline of my own sons, whom I love more than life, helped me to appreciate my own need need for discipline by my Heavenly Father, who loves me even more than I could love my own sons.

But what has really taught me the power of daily discipline has been teaching Chinese MBA students for 20 years, and listening to the complaints and excuses I'm given each semester from those who fail--even though I start off each semester by explaining to students how to guarantee a passing grade. I even have them sign sign a student-teacher contract, and I hold them, and myself, to it. Still, some fail anyway because they cannot or will not follow the simple, weekly guidelines.

Weekly Needs, Weekly Goals. Unless I intervene, some students wait until the final week (or final days!) to complete an entire semester's assignments. Other students rush through the entire homework book in a week or two to "get it out of the way." But learning is maximized when student's neither rush nor delay, but discipline themselves to do the homework weekly, as needed.

Not Spectators but Participators Another incentive for doing homework well is that the final exam is based on homework content. In addition, homework is half the grade because I grade them on how they learn as well as on what they learn. I expect students not to just listen but to participate, and I liven up every class with case studies, projects, role plays, etc. Active participation, rather than passive listening, helps students learn more, and makes learning fun.

Laugh, but Learn In my classes, learning always comes with laughter. I continually pull surprises on the students, so that by halfway through the semester they are on the edge of their seats each class, wondering what I'm going to do to them that day. They have fun, and I have fun--which makes the shock that much greater when some students, in spite of my warnings, fail!

You're so Kind! I had 260 grad students last semester, and those who failed had the same complaints I've heard for 20 years. "How could you fail me! You are so nice! You are so kind! You love China! You...." [Yes, they really do think that because I "love China" I should let them pass!] But I fail them precisely because I do love them.

Unwilling Party I hate failing students, but to pass the students who don't work would be unfair to others, and I would have become a "willing party to their death," reinforcing the wrong attitudes about not just class but life. So I warn, I plead, and as a last resort, I fail. But the students who take my class the second time always work much harder. They take the class, and me, much more seriously, and they learn more. And happily, I've had several actually thank me for failing them the first time, and awakening them to the realities of life.

School of Life The longer I am a teacher, and the more excuses I hear from students, the more I appreciate how great a teacher is our Heavenly Father, and how well he has planned his course. And I see that I make the same mistakes as my students! I try to rush here, or delay there, when all I need to do is take one day at a time, and do my homework daily.

School Schedule. As I wrote in a previous blog, my Air Force drill sergeant literally drilled the need for discipline into my head when he made us "Jump Up!" on day one. But even today, over 30 years later, I find discipline a challenge. It still takes discipline to start each day with a quiet time, but that quiet time is my daily homework, and I marvel how often the message I read turns out to be just what I need for that particular day. What a great Teacher we have!

Day by Day. Our Heavenly Father loves us, but he still disciplines us precisely because he does love us, and does not want to be a "willing party" to our death (Proverbs 19:18).

A Thousand Miles, Countless Steps Lao Tzu was wrong when he said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step." The journey should begin first with choosing the destination!. But once we set foot upon the Way, the journey is completed step by step. There are no shortcuts. We can't rely upon copying others' work. We can't appeal to the Teacher's kindness if we fail. He has set up the Course, given us very clear guidelines. And fortunately for us, our Teacher's Son has taken the course before us, and if we allow him, will walk with us daily until we too graduate.

Whether Emperor or peasant, King or commoner, we all need daily discipline until we pass the course and see our Teacher face to face.

Time for class...

"Virtue should be as common in the laborer as in the king." Confucius
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