“Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage.”
(Psalm 6:1, NLT)

I don’t know about you, but as I parent, I have often lost my cool.  Now that my children are adults (and an almost adult) and I have my first grand baby on the way, I have a bit more perspective.  I didn’t when they were small.  Too often I viewed their bad behavior as an affront to my authority.  Sometimes it was.  Sometimes it was just childishness or a different way of interacting with the world. But it frustrated me regardless.  When they were not in line with my expectations and my agenda, I became angry.  So when I disciplined them, it sometimes included some emotion.   I admit, I lost perspective.  I did not always seek their greater good, but rather mine.  Looking back, I now see the places where I could have done better.  Time and distance provides that.

In contrast, our Heavenly Father always has perspective.   Especially when it comes to our disobedience to His authority and our childishness.  From our vantage point, we may think He acts out of anger when we’re not in line with His expectations and His agenda, but that is far from the truth.  He always acts out of a position of love and compassion for us and He always seeks our greater good.

As I parent, I really did want what was best for my children, even though I might not have known the best way to achieve it. However, our Heavenly Father does and He continually directs us, guides, and even disciplines us perfectly, because He loves us.

“My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”
(Proverbs 3:11-12, NLT and reiterated in Hebrews 12:5-6)

Heavenly Father, thank You for your love and your patience with me. You are good and what you do is good (Psalm 119:68). Help me to see everything You do through the eyes of Your love for me.