“Constant correction and force of will instills discipline.” -Dr. Benjamin S. Akins
Correction is necessary for growth! The Scriptures teach this principle:
Proverbs 3:12, King James Version (KJV)
[12] For whom the LORD (ALMIGHTY) loveth (with an everlasting love; see Jeremiah 31:3) he correcteth (or He consistently influences his conscious will and actions to conform to divine truth); even as a father the son in whom he delighteth (or whom He takes great pleasure in).
Understand how this principle ties into our focus on “ROOTS”. Pay close attention to this excerpt from Bishop T.D. Jakes’ book, “Crushing”.
“You may recall that the nation of Israel arrived in Egypt as a family of seventy people. While in Egypt for 400-years, the children of Israel increased in number to a threatening degree to the Egyptians who called themselves the masters over Israel. During that time, though the children of Israel continued with their tradition of circumcision, it would only be a matter of common sense to understand that plenty of Egyptian customs and approaches to life got into the hearts and minds of Israel.
Four centuries — four hundred years — is an awfully long time. It’s plenty of time to lose identity. Plenty of time to fall in love with different kinds of foods. Plenty of time to begin appreciating new varieties of music and other art forms. Plenty of time to learn to speak other languages and all their dialects. For nearly half a millennium, the children of Israel were soaking up Egyptian traditions, philosophies, and ways of life. We cannot ignore the fact that Israel began to identify itself with its oppressors, because that is precisely what abused, downtrodden, and exploited people do when left in a negative environment long enough.
There is a phrase used in the field of psychology that speaks to how people begin to fall in love and appreciate their captors and abusers. It’s called Stockholm syndrome, and it develops between the abused and the abuser after they have spent time together. Though we have words to identify the phenomenon, it is still one of the most confusing anomalies I’ve ever encountered.”