“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” — Proverbs 3:11-12
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Ask all the greatest players — it doesn’t matter which sport — when they improved the most. Their answers are often the same: when they were playing for a coach who was willing to discipline them.
The discipline may have been unpleasant in the moment, but later on they realize that the coaches’ purposes were for their ultimate good. It was to make them the best they could be, to maximize their abilities on the field or the court, and it was all done from a place of love. It’s no accident that these types of coaches often have the most loyal former players.
God is far from a harsh disciplinarian, but the Bible does tell us that He disciplines His children. His fatherly discipline is good news for you and me, because He also disciplines from a place of love. Only, His love infinitely surpasses even the most effective coaches’ love for their players.
This discipline is identifiable evidence that He is at work in our lives, and it’s an opportunity to commune more intimately with Him in the midst of it all. In the end, it results in our sanctification as we grow to become the people He’s called us to be.
God’s discipline won’t be enjoyable in the moment, and that’s OK. It will lead to a life of holiness and the eternal reward of being in God’s perfect presence forever. The purpose behind His loving, fatherly discipline is our good.
He delights in His children, so much so that Jesus voluntarily went to the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and then rise again to reconcile us to Himself. This is the type of discipline we should rejoice in.
— Kevin Mercer
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