"Love" and "discipline". Many people think those words are polar opposites. My wife is a third grade teacher and gives out a steady dose of both of these on a daily basis. One of her favorite sayings is “Punishment controls a child; discipline teaches a child to control himself.” Some confuse discipline with punishment.
My young friend Billy recently joined the U. S. Marine Corps. In his words, “I need to grow up and I think they can help me with that.” Oh yeah. He will “grow up” quickly because the Marines know about discipline.
The Bible teaches that discipline is good and necessary because God does love us.
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11)
There are many Christians who want to attribute any difficulty in their lives as an attack by Satan. There are those that believe that God would never want anything “bad” (uncomfortable) to happen to his children. The truth is God disciplines us for our good so we may share in His holiness. The discipline eventually produces righteousness and peace in our lives.
The path to peace requires discipline. Jesus called His followers "disciples"; the very notion of learning from Him and being identified with Him is rooted in discipline. Don’t resist the difficulties and pain, they are shaping tools, used by the Divine Sculptor, to discipline us and prepare us for holy and peaceful living.
~ Father, thank you for loving me enough to correct me. Help me to accept you discipline no matter how painful it may be for a season. Amen.
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