Discipline

Anything worthwhile takes discipline. A masterpiece doesn't spring out of nothing. It is the result of a premeditated effort, struggling through tediousness, battling monotony, persevering despite tiredness or boredom or lack of fast results because you know the end result will be worth the pain of practice.
Oh how many things this principal can be applied to in my life!! Music, parenting, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with Jesus, cleaning, gardening, etc. Spontaneity has its place but without disciplined practice, spontaneity isn't even really possible.
When we are young, we don't understand how to look forward and see the end result of the hard work we're doing today. Child/adolescent brains do not have the capability to make decisions that take into consideration all the repercussions that today's choices may have, on themselves or on other people (it's due to the physical makeup of their brains, the 2 frontal lobes of the brain are not fully connected until adults reach their mid twenties, which is the place where decision-making is processed.) That is why the responsibility to make tough choices falls on the parent. It's a parent's job to protect their child from ruining the rest of their life by making wrong decisions while they are not yet fully capable of making them on their own. That is why parents are in charge of making sure their children do their homework, practice piano, stick with a friend during a hard time, read their Bibles, memorize Scripture, clean their room, eat their veggies. Parents make decisions FOR their kids while they can so that when the time comes and the kids have the capability of making decisions for themselves, they'll choose on their own what they already know so well and has given them the happiest results.

John Piper once said that it is possible for children to not have to "experiment" with sin in order to know fully that God's way is the best way, the way that leads to life and peace and joy.

Lord God, I pray that You help me model your discipline in my own life, in joy and thankfulness, so that my children will not ever want to depart from You. That they'll know the joy that comes from Your protection, which can only happen when we obey You; that they'll delight in your law and rest in the promises of Your holy Word, not buying into the lies from Satan that what the world offers is better than You. Father, teach me to discipline them now so that their choice to follow You later will be a much less difficult one than it could be.