No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Before we were born again, we were children of Satan and divided from God. We were dead in our sin and under eternal damnation. Before we found Christ, we were enslaved in sin and under the curse of the Law, bound for the lake of fire and eternal displacement from our Creator God. However, since we have been saved by grace through faith, we have become children of God. Now we have the promise of eternal life, a birthright in heaven. However, if Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered…why should we expect to steer clear of problems of life and the disciplining of the Holy Spirit? We expect to receive discipline from our imperfect, earthly fathers, but as adopted children of our Heavenly Father…how much more should we expect to be corrected by Him and trained through the things that we suffer for our greater good? Wise, parental discipline, can take many forms. It can be instructive, corrective, life-preserving, chastening, and character-forming. It can foster patient endurance and encourage a submissive spirit that truly benefits from the wise judgment of our Heavenly Father. If we are prepared to be trained by the Lord’s correction, we will reap a great reward. We should not succumb when faced with adverse circumstances, but should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. We need to learn obedience by the things that we suffer so that, day by day, we may be transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.
Spiritual Steve 