Endurance and Good Discipline

Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline- which all receive-then you are illegitimate children but not sons. Furthermore, we had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn't we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they discipline us for a short time based on what seems good to them, but He does it for our benefit, so that we can share His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Therefore strengthen your tired hands and weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed instead. Hebrews 12:7-13

You can't beat good discipline, done in love, for a godly purpose, it produces life. My son was very dramatic as a child. When he was about to be smacked he'd hug the wall crying 'no!' You would have thought I was about to abuse him, quite the opposite in fact. He would be the first to say it did him no harm.

I have watched this same son tell his two year first child: ' hands together and sit in the corner!' He was teaching his son self-control. I was horrified to see a little boy struggle to obey but that same son now is 10, and a delightful young man who has a handle on self-control, he understands it. 

Righteousness trains, abuse destroys. Discipline with loving purpose brings life giving change. Our Heavenly Father does not remove trial from our lives, because that same trial takes us to Him. Just the same we cannot smooth out the lives of our children to make them 'happy'. Happiness will not train in endurance and character, happiness can spoil us for the battle that inevitably will come.

Verse 12 is diplomatically telli us to toughen up, grow character, build a bridge and get over it. There is no place for self-pity. Mind you we still succumb but we must 'slap the weasel within.' I can now hear the whine, see the 'poor me,' attitude and deal with myself.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Who Rules?

The princes of Judah are like those who move boundary markers, I will pout out my fury on them like water. Hosea 5:10 World leaders of church and state are now all highly visible. When they are not open to consultation or do not listen they make judgements that are judged as foolish by both God and man. In Australia we just celebrated Australia Day and at this time various people are honoured for their contribution to society. Our Prime Minister, Mr Abbott, without consultation, conferred a knighthood on the Queen of England's husband, Phillip. Almost to a person, Australians judged this to be foolish. Even supporters have now distanced themselves. Imagine what it is like when church leaders follow their own emotions or the emotions of their people and change what is acceptable to God. For example, no longer considering adultery something that precludes a man from ministry. We might think we are clever, but actually going with a sinful flow. Where is God in all this? My emotions ar...
Read more

Know Your Sword!

So he took Him to Jerusalem, had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "if you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: 'He will give His angels orders concerning You, to protect you, they will support You with their hands, so that you will not strike Your foot against a stone.' And Jesus answered him, "it is said: 'do not test The Lord your God." And the Devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him for a time. Luke 4:9-11 In this third test Satan quoted scripture but Jesus knew His scripture and was not going to be deceived by his enemy twisting the truth. I am amazed at what Satan tempted Jesus with. He did not know Christ. He had succeeded in tempting the first Adam yet he was thwarted in this attempt. Jesus had lived 30 years and been tutored in godliness with contentment, he was prepared, baptised in the Spirit and sold out to the Father's purpose. Every time our enemy comes against us we ...
Read more

Little Things Grow

The boy's mother said to Elisha, "as The Lord lives and you yourself live, I will not leave you. So he got up and followed her. 2 Kings 4:30 The Shunamite woman had travelled to Mt Carmel to find Elisha after the death of her son. Although Elisha had sent his servant Gehazi to the boy with his staff the woman had come to find Elisha and was not leaving without him. I like this lady's spirit. I am sure The Lord God Almighty also valued her heart. She had a heart for God and made room for Him in her world. Now, having lost her son she knew what to do: find Elisha and not let him go until he came to restore her son. What made the Shunamite woman believe that Elisha could raise her son? Was it the same faith that made her provide him a place to stay in her home? I believe it was God working in her life. I am grateful for her faith, I can read and be encouraged. We do not know her name yet her story lives in scripture. What a little thing it was to feed Elisha and then provide ...
Read more