Discipline

Hebrews 12:5-6

And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

When I must discipline my son, he of course gets mad and tries to tell me that I don’t love him.  Of course, as adults, if you have kids or not, we know that this is not true, very much the opposite.  We discipline our children because we love them and want them to correct their wrong doing. 

So why is it when we stray from God and we are disciplined, that we want to say that God isn’t there for us or that he doesn’t love us?  It is actually just the opposite.  God disciplines us because he loves us.

Sometimes I get frustrated with my son.  As I think about this relationship, I have to remember my relationship with God.  I have to stop and think about how I feel or how God must feel when I, as his child, do something equivalent. 

Today I challenge you to stop and think about your relationship with God.  How can you be a more obedient child to him?  Do you need to change how you react to the discipline he shows?  Put yourself in the position of the parent and look at it from that side also.