Embracing God’s Discipline – Ashley Moore

February 26, 2023279 views0

Embracing God’s Discipline – Ashley Moore

2023-02-26T11:52:08+01:00

By Church News

Embracing God’s Discipline – Ashley Moore“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” – Hebrews 12:5-6, NLTEvery morning with renewed energy, I am able to hold my children accountable and ensure they obey. But as the day wears on, so does my resolve to enforce discipline—as long as no one is bleeding, everything will be okay, right?Unlike my feeble attempts at discipline, God never grows weary of redirecting those He loves. He knows that we don’t sin in a vacuum; our sin hurts and has ripple effects in our relationships. He cares enough to correct us. But no one enjoys discipline; my three children agree, and I am sure you can also relate! They cry, resist, and make it so incredibly hard to enforce. But despite our resistance to discipline, the Bible says it is good for us!So what does God’s discipline do for us?Discipline Serves as Proof of God’s Love As I mentioned above, sometimes it’s easier to forgo disciplining our children. I find this especially true after a long day, and I am physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. Discipline takes time and energy. We have to grab our children’s attention and then talk them through their choices. We attempt to explain that our choices have consequences, and we have to think through our actions, so we don’t harm ourselves or others. It takes all the self-control I can muster, along with prayer, to curb my behaviour in the moment of reprimanding, lest I act just like my child. It takes so much energy, but I do it because I love my kids. And I want to fight for their greatest joy by pointing them to a relationship with Christ. And God disciplines us because He loves us too. Yes, it would be easier to leave us to our own devices, but He doesn’t. He cares enough to correct and redirect!Discipline Produces Character Hebrews 12:11 says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterwards, there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”When we consistently discipline our children, we teach them what it looks like to see our sin, repent, and repair our relationships when they are ruptured by sin. And God reminds us in our key passage not to give up when this happens. And while discipline isn’t enjoyable, it is a necessary tool to help us see how we fall short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23). It hurts our pride to admit when we are wrong and to apologize. If you don’t believe me, pay attention the next time you see a kid react when asked to apologize to a sibling. You would think it was killing them to admit their wrongdoing. And we aren’t too different, are we? But we must press through the discomfort to enjoy the harvest of right living that comes from God’s discipline and redirection.ALSO READ: How Can You Tell if God is Opening a Door? – Pastor Olapoju