Picture an adopted child who disobeys or is in a state of rebellion. The parent tells the child to complete a particular chore. The child says, “No!” Does the adopted child become any less adopted because of this response? Of course not. However, at the point of disobedience or rebellion the child is not behaving as a child of the parent, but the parent knows that he/she is still the parent and the child is still the child. So the parent lovingly finds a way to bring discipline to the child in a way that honors the relationship. The goal is to bring the child to complete the chore because of the love the child has for the parent and the love the parent has for the child. You don’t look at your child and say, “If you don’t do your chore you will no longer be my child. And yet, if the child never shows any outward signs of obedience how will anyone ever know?
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