discipline

This is Going to Hurt!

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. Hebrews 12:7 ESV

Maybe the phrase, “This is going to hurt me more than it’s going to hurt you!” is imprinted indelibly in my memory, because it always preceded several well aimed smacks on my behind. It was not that I questioned the truth my step-father’s intentions, it was simply the fact that I never listened to any of the words that came after, and “This is going to hurt!” So when I first came to this passage in Hebrews my mind slipped back in time to those moments of discipline and I inwardly cringed as I waited for God’s punishment to fall.

But, as true as the fact that we need to be disciplined by our heavenly Father, is the reality that it really did hurt God far more than it hurts us. After all, God is correcting us for things we have done wrong but Jesus went as an innocent lamb to the cross to pay for our adoption into His family. Like Thomas we worry that we have been left out of blessings that we think we deserve. But the good news is that Jesus came even for a doubtful Thomas and as showed him the marks of the nails in his hands and the scar from the spear in His side. It’s as if He looked lovingly into Thomas’ fearful eyes and said, “Stop your doubting and just believe. This really did hurt me more than it hurt you, but it was worth it because I want you to be my son!”

Wait till your father gets home!

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

For the Lord disciplines the one He loves and chastises every son whom He receives…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. Hebrews 12:6; 10

“Go sit on your bed till your father gets home!” were the most dreaded words of my childhood. The time till he came with the inevitable correction was the worst punishment of all. My parents were not perfect but they taught me some important things about God which I missed at those moments. They showed that I belonged to their family. They regularly punished me but they never spanked the neighbor’s kids! Secondly, they were determined that I was going to grow up and become an adult. If they felt I was incapable they would have just patted me on the head and given up.P1030491

But in spite of their best efforts I came to the conclusion that I was displeasing and that the last thing they wanted to do was to spend time with me. Maybe you not only have also shared some of my boyhood experiences. Today’s hardships and setbacks cry out, “God doesn’t care about you! You aren’t worth His time! Why not just give up hoping that you could ever please Him!” But the cold hard truth is that God loved you so much that He gave His Son to die in your place. You are so worth His time that He wants to be with you for all eternity. He is so pleased to call you His son that He disciplines you now so He can share His Holy presence with you forever! What a wonderful heavenly Father we have! What small discipline we receive now tells us that we are loved so much that He wants to be with us forever!