Editorial January 11, 1975 Issue

Discipline and Childhood

Carl J. Welz

Childhood—the state of being a child—is something mortals retain or grow out of largely through discipline. Many physically mature people express an endearing, innocent childlikeness. Others seem to cling endlessly to selfish, childish traits.

The David of the Bible illustrates well the struggles one may go through to discipline himself. As a youth he faced a lion and a bear with trust in God, tempered with disciplined courage, and he overcame them. When Goliath challenged the army of Israel, David alone had separated himself from childish fear to face the challenger with childlike trust in God. And he proved Goliath's boasting threats powerless.

After David became king, however, he still had childish self-will to contend with. Attracted to a young woman, he had her husband assigned to a battle post where he would be killed. The woman, Bath-sheba, became his wife. Through the eloquent counsel of the prophet Nathan, David repented. The son Bath-sheba bore him died. Later another son was born, and he, Solomon, became a king noted for wisdom. A psalm attributed to David at the time of his repentance says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."^{Ps. 51:10;}

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