Monday, June 17, 2013 - The Discipline of Love Hebrews 12:5-11 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Loving mother and fathers will discipline their children, yet even when motives and methods are appropriate, no one enjoys undergoing correction. With a long-term perspective, however, we remember that the benefits of discipline far outweigh its momentary discomforts. A parent’s ultimate goal for corrective measures should be to train children in righteousness. Specifically, there’s a key principle I believe each child should learn before setting off on his own: Whether at home or away from home, every person is accountable to God for his own life, actions, and attitudes. With this in mind, you can see that applying discipline properly takes perseverance, effort, and wisdom on the part of the parent. But it’s an act of selfless, purposeful love. God, too, disciplines His children. And the fact that we experience His correction proves His love for us. Though this redirection seems unpleasant at the time, it spares us much difficulty later on and leads us toward joy and a fulfilling life. Our response will determine whether we learn the necessary lesson: we can react with anger about the difficulty, we can repent of our unholy ways and ask to learn whatever God wants to teach us. In seeking Him through His Word, prayer, and counsel, we should then obey. Human wisdom may seem right at the time, but it leads to destruction. Thankfully, we’re dearly cared for by our heavenly Father, who redeemed us with Jesus’ blood so He could call us His children. When we’re headed in the wrong direction, He lovingly redirects us so we can know the fullness of living His way. Copyright 2013 In Touch Ministries, Inc.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:51:33 +0000
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