Walking with the Wise #11: Don't Despise His Discipline

“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline
or be weary of His reproof,
for the LORD reproves him whom He loves,
as a father the son in whom He delights.” 

—Proverbs 3:11-12

It may be a newsflash to some, but God disciplines His children. God disciplines us because He loves us. He wants the very best for us, so He brings His discipline so that we might do what is pleasing in His sight as well as avoid that which is destructive to our souls. But discipline is not fun and can be quite painful. Not to mention it may not look the same for each person. God’s discipline may come as the loss of a relationship, physical illness or difficulty, the loss of a job, career setback, or a host of other possibilities. God allows His discipline to take many different forms, but no matter what it looks like the intended result is still the same—to bring the person back to God and have God once again become the supreme focus and priority of the person’s life.

Consider children for a moment. If I discipline my kids, I do so because I love them. I don’t discipline them because I hate them or want to harm them. On the contrary, that is the last thing I want. I want them to have the absolute best, but in order for that to happen, they have to know that the behavior they are choosing is destructive and painful. If I see my oldest daughter harming my young son, I am going to discipline her. Why? Because what she is doing isn’t right. She is much older then he is and he can’t defend himself against her. She needs to understand that is not how God desires us to behave. He wants us to love one another, to care for one another, to help and serve one another. When she grows up, she is not supposed to go around hitting or hurting people, but loving them and telling them about who Jesus is, by her words and actions. If I were just to let her go on in her harmful behavior, I would be communicating to her that I really don’t care about what happens to her. She could grow up, continue to hurt others, and eventually, if it became severe enough, land herself in prison. Of course that’s not what I want for her. I want her to avoid prison and anything like it. I want what is the absolute best for her, and I want her to have a life that is pleasing in the sight of God, that has joy and peace as byproducts. In short, I want her to life a life that is pleasing in the sight of God. And I want the same for all of my children.

God has set forth within His word how we are supposed to live. And whenever we stray from that, He brings discipline for several reasons. The first reason is so that we may not think that we can get by doing whatever we want to in the face of God without experiencing some disastrous consequences. We may try rebellious behavior for a while, but God will bring His discipline so that we might understand what we are doing is wrong. Secondly, God brings discipline so that we might share in His holiness—which is to mean, that we might become more like Him. When we come to know Jesus, God places His Spirit within us, in order to grow the Son of God in us. Whenever we continue in sin, we are preventing the Son of God from growing up in us, so He disciplines us so that we might repent, turn from our sin, and let the Son of God grow unhindered. Thirdly, we receive discipline because God wants us to do what is best. Doing what is best means that which is most beneficial—to ourselves and to those around us. And what is most beneficial is that which is found in the reading of and applying of God’s word.

While discipline might be painful, we must remember that it is for our benefit. In the book of Hebrews we read,

“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by Him.
For the Lord disciplines the one He loves,
and chastises every son whom He receives.’

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it"—Hebrews 12:6-11.

God disciplines us because we are His children and He loves us. Do you feel His hand of discipline right now? How are you responding to it? Are you willing to submit to it? Do you recognize your wrong? If so, repent and be prepared to do what it is God requires of you.

Most often, whenever we are under God’s discipline, we will notice we have a lack of real, true, abiding joy. It is only in submitting to God’s discipline that we will rediscover our joy. Joy is a byproduct of our right relationship with the Lord. Do you feel that you have lost your joy? Is God’s hand of loving discipline upon you? If so, submit to it and recognize it for what it is, God’s loving means of bringing you back to Himself for His glory and your joy. Amen.