discipline as love

"If you do not have that discipline in which all children share, then you are illegitimate and not his children."

What strong words from the author of Hebrews to his audience then and I have to think more so to us now. As a society we hate discipline. Hearing a child get scolded in line at Wal*Mart makes us squirm. Worse, to see a child get a swat on the rear-end in a public setting. We, or should I say I, can't help but wonder if the child is getting worse at home. We judge, we assume, and we over-react. Just flip through the channels of your basic cable package and you'll see the results of a world without judgment and discipline. Supernanny has to tell real-life adults that they are in charge of their homes. The Dog Whisperer shows up to give people the strength to discipline their domestic animals. Michael Vick is negotiating a plea bargain only because the other 4 defendants have turned on him. We have lost our sense of right and wrong. We have lost control of our lives, our homes, and our families.


Most especially, we have lost control of our selves. I actually had a classmate of mine say in a classroom in seminary that "A God of judgment is so out-dated. But people actually still believe that God judges our lives."!!!! Honestly, have you read Hebrews 12? Those who refuse the judgment and discipline of God are not his children. God is not an arbitrary judge. He doesn't make up rules to make our lives miserable. His call to love Him and love our neighbor isn't a blank check to do anything we want to in the name of love. He has a plan for each of us. This plan requires some level of obedience on our part. We will inevitably have to turn ourselves away from one lifestyle and intentionally turn toward God. "Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

It isn't always fun. It isn't always the way we want it. But God's discipline yields life abundant. Pay attention to God's hand guiding you. Don't focus on the things God won't allow you to do, but rather seek the things that in his mercy he has provided. God's discipline is offered out of his unending love for you, his child.