“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 12:11
We are all born sinners, but because of God’s gift of salvation, we now have the privilege of becoming His children. You see, God loves us so much that He gave us the freedom to make our own choices and decisions. However, we cannot, in any way, control its consequences. We cannot manipulate God to spare us from any disciplining from Him. If we do not live according to His will, expect that there will be tribulations along the way.
If you’re struggling or hurting over and over about a specific situation, have a heart check. Assess where you stand and how you handle it. We often think of God’s discipline as suffering, but in reality, it is His wake-up call for us that there is something wrong with how we live and view our life. So if you are in a situation that seems too difficult to handle or too painful to bear, what do you think is wrong? Maybe, the answer is right in front of your eyes, and you are just too blind to see His purpose, or you haven’t learned your lesson at all, and you’re just too prideful to resist it.
If our earthly fathers disciplined us because they want what is good for us, how much more should we expect to be corrected and trained by our Heavenly Father, who loves us more than anyone? We may not see the purpose of all these immediately, but the price will always come afterward. That is certain because God promises that.
The righteousness and peace that come with discipline cannot be obtained overnight. You have to be trained first to accomplish and gain it. You still have a long life to live, and you will encounter more obstacles and hardships. But keep in mind that it will always mold you into becoming what God intends you to be. So, may you always choose the pain of discipline rather than the pain of regret.
