“The Lord disciplines those He loves.” Hebrews 12:6 NLT
“Embrace discipline with assurance of God’s love and sufficient grace.”
My thoughts and comments today are about “Godly discipline.”
Does anyone really enjoy discipline? None of us likes to be corrected, and especially it seems when we most need to be. Does a child thank a parent even for necessary discipline? Few employees ever appreciated criticism even when it was constructive. Such sensitivity is intensified because of times that everyone has experienced when criticism or correction was poorly administered. My dear Scottish friend, Campbell, often said, “Allen, the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.” His was a life lived with the example of personal, spiritual improvement.
The Bible has a lot to say about discipline, both spiritual and personal. The Bible assumes you have learned to accept discipline and do so with appreciation. “Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our Heavenly Father and live forever? . . for our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how.” Hebrews 12:9-10 NLT.
How you accept situations of earthly correction may well predict how you will accept spiritual discipline. There is a human responsibility for how correction and discipline are administered. “Fathers, don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction (nurture and admonition/KJV) approved by the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 NLT. Fathers are imperfect; your Heavenly Father is perfect.
Godly discipline always has encouragement as its goal. “Have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you? (See Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV) ‘My child . . don’t be discouraged when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves . . God’s discipline is always right and good for us because it means we will share in His holiness.” Hebrews 12:6/10 NLT. A better future is God’s objective in His discipline. Godly discipline is proof God loves you too much to let you be less than you should be.
Discipline will not feel pleasant while happening; don’t be surprised by that. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11 NIV. Embrace discipline with assurance of God’s love and sufficient grace.
A few practical guidelines to help when correcting: discipline should be correction for the future rather than punishment of the past, accomplished in private not public, be positive and affirming not angry – correcting behavior rather than condemning the person, should be received with humility and thankfulness, and occurs best within recognized relationship with an understood line of authority and accountability. “Who are you to judge the servant of someone else? It is his own Master who will decide if he succeeds or fails. And he will succeed, because the Lord is able to make Him succeed.” Romans 14:4 TEV.
My prayer for you today is that you value Godly discipline and accept correction.