I’ve been writing recently about discipline and what we learn as we wait on the Lord. The waiting process does reveal all of our heart ~ good and bad.
Our verse this week addresses us as children that God has received. It assures us all God’s dealings with us are ALWAYS done because He loves us. He is UNWILLING for any of us to perish in any way. Yet as in any child’s growth process, there is a tendency to ignore or minimize what the Father is saying or simply be weary of hearing it said over and over again.
Where does our weariness come from when reproved by Him? Can it be that correctionspeaks of His rejection of us? Do we feel that God is disappointed with us? Do we think correction is disapproval of us? Does it make us angry and sulky?
We have two admonitions in the verses above. The first is to not make light of the discipline. In other words, don’t blow it off. The second is not to be weary when we are reproved by him. Both of which occur when we do not have a right mindset about our Fathers motivation and purpose for correction.
We have earthly Fathers who disciplined us as it seemed best to them and we respected them. Many of us suffered unrighteously from what “seemed best to them” and that ‘correction’ often did carry rejection. To unlearn this and to allow the revelation enter into our heart that ‘God is good and only does good’ is huge. The end goal is to submit to the Father of our Spirit and live. To achieve this we might need to change our perception about correction and develop deeper depths of fellowship with our heavenly Father.
Reproofs of instruction, Proverbs tells us, are the way of life. We are reminded from James to receive instruction with meekness. Jesus says, He who has an ear let him hear what the spirit is saying. Above all, we must remember The Lord loves the ones He disciplines. Earthly fathers did what seemed best, but our Heavenly Father does exactly what is best for us.
All correction is to keep us on His path of life so that we are able to fully enjoy life as He has it. Our admonition is not to regard it lightly nor be weary when reproved but remember love and life are with it.