“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” Hebrews 12:7
Have you ever experienced going to a restaurant to enjoy a quiet meal, only to be seated next to a family with an undisciplined child? If so, you may have overheard this common threat, “I’m going to count to three and you’d better…” Worse, you may have actually listened to the parent count to three, only to realize that nothing happened after “three” was reached. Often, a child’s behavior can escalate to the point of the parents giving up and giving in to the child.
Unfortunately, in our culture this kind of capitulation is becoming the norm. Discipline is often seen as too harsh and even damaging to a child’s self-esteem. However, God doesn’t see it that way. God wants us to be centered on Him and not centered on ourselves, and delivering discipline is one way He does that for us. Our God is a jealous God (Exodus 34:14) and He loves us too much not to discipline us, and too much to leave us alone in our sin. As Jesus followers, it’s important that we understand that God’s discipline is for our good.
How is God disciplining you right now? How is He using His discipline of you to grow you in your faith?
