discipline

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 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! 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. 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 12:7-11

God I pray this be so.

I pray that my heart is open to his discipline so that He may increase my righteousness. How often we view discipline from God as something bad. It's ironic that when I discipline my children I realize that I must do so so that I can help them learn lesson to become wonderful adults. I teach them right and wrong, I teach them respect, I teach them the proper way to treat each other, I teach so much that I can not write about in a simple blog post. I don't expect my children to know already know these things. I realize that it is my job to teach them through instruction and sometimes discipline. I realize that some lessons must be taught over and over again before it is cemented in their little heads. I only get frustrated when one of my children does something that I know, they know, is very wrong.

Is it the same with God? Some lessons must be taught so that we can reap the benefits of his teaching and instruction? He knows that some lessons He has to teach us over and over again? That He only gets angry when we willfully disobey Him? That because He loves us as a father that his patience is more than we can imagine? I believe that it is so.

How wonderful a picture of our God! A loving father that is just trying to shape us into the best we can possibly be.

God, I know that sometimes I hide when you try to discipline me. Help me to somehow accept your discipline so that I may "produce a harvest of righteousness and peace" in my life.