Hebrews 12:1-11
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. … If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (vv. 6, 8) I do not disagree with these verse, but I am asking myself how the Lord has disciplined me. He has shown me my sin and made me sorrowful for mistakes I’ve made in the past – and continue to make today. But where is the discipline? I understand our parents’ discipline, but what do we mean by “the Lord’s discipline”? I had to go online to get some answers. Here’s the best that I found:
“God’s discipline comes from His great love for us. It is a token of His adoption of us as children. He loves us too much to allow us to remain in our sin. He loves us so much that He will do whatever is necessary to make us holy… While discipline is sometimes painful, God’s purpose in disciplining us is for our own good, our holiness. The ultimate good for a Christian is to be sanctified, which is to be conformed to the image and likeness of Christ. God allows us to undergo trials and temptations so our faith will be tested and we will grow in maturity as Christians. God uses these trials to discipline us for godliness.”
https://www.compellingtruth.org/God-discipline.html (my bold added)
Trials and temptations… I have undergone trials – difficulties, times of great testing. And I have undergone temptations – and too often succumbed to temptations, and later regretted it. I think I understand “the Lord’s discipline” a bit better now, but I still need to reflect more on the Lord’s discipline in my life.
Slava Bohu!
I was pondering when are we (am I) being disciplined and when is it simply “life” (e.g., disease, violence, poverty, etc.)? I believe God uses these situations, but doesn’t necessarily set them up.
And, should my response be different if He is using or setting them up? I can:
I think #4 is the desired response either way.