Discpline

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. Hebrews 12:11

It may come as a surprise, but I don't mind being disciplined as much as I used to.  As a kid, I resented it, and did my best to get around it, even to the point of sneaking out of the house by climbing onto the roof from the balcony and shimmying down to the garage, where I (gasp!) took my mother's station wagon and went joyriding!  (I can't believe I just confessed that on the internet -- just sayin' I obviously  NEEDED some discipline!)

Part of what God really drove home to me after my salvation (and during my sanctification!) was a new sense of humility.  For the first time in my life, I started to realize that it wasn't all about me.  (Have I got that down pat yet? Nooooo...thank God there is a process of sanctification!  I get to keep practicing!)  The difference is that I can recognize my humility lapses more quickly, and that I'm more heart-willing to submit to God's discipline, because He's shown me evidence that he DOES harvest righteousness and peace in my life afterward!


Someone had to point out to me that the root word of DISCIPLINE is DISCIPLE.  As I read the gospels again this year, I see again how Jesus chose His disciples, loved them, taught them -- and yes, disciplined them -- but always for their own eternal benefit.  I yearn to be refined as they were (although it does make me take a big GULP! as I say that -- kinda' like that feeling when you got to the edge of the high dive as a kid, and you were ready to jump. Gives me shivers as I write this, and yet I kept going back for more!)  Diving in with Jesus, becoming His disciple looks kinda' scary...but because I know that I know that I know I can trust Him to make me better tan I ever could on my own....I keep coming back for more!  I DO look forward to standing in His presence in eternity...and hope that He will be able to say (with some fervor!), "Well done, good and faithful one!"