His Discipline Is For Your Good

...But He (disciplines us) for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Hebrews 12:10-11

Understand today that punishment is only effective when the one being punished learns the errors of his/her ways and improves… Many people beat or whip their children, but have not actually reached their child in a means to correct them… It is important to realize this because God disciplines us in many ways and forms; however, it is “…for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness…” The author of Hebrews reminds us today that God punishes us out of love and a desire to see us succeed; if we truly reap what we have/had sown, then you and I would be in the midst of hell today; however, God punishes to teach us the right way and for us to come to know and understand that the path we have chosen from birth (path of sin) was not the best path for us to walk… 

As a child, when I received a beating I thought that I was enduring the most terrible feeling I could ever feel; however, I never thought about how bad a feeling I placed in the hearts of my parents by conducting myself in a manner that was not pleasing to them… I think we all can agree that there is no fun in being whipped, but when we learn from our mistakes and begin to reap the rewards of our transformation, then that unpleasant feeling is well worth it… Short-lived pain is always worth it when you receive a lifetime of bliss… The author today wants you to know that the corrective measures God puts in place are not intended to harm you, these devices get you on the straight and narrow, they place you where He wants and needs you to be so that you can reach and become what He designed you for… The author acknowledges that “…no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous...” Discipline isn’t well received; it isn’t something we want to endure and it is painful to accept; however, the product that comes from it outweighs the pain that it inflects… 

All For His Glory!