Proverbs 3.11-12
My child, don’t reject the LORD’S discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you. (3.11)
In this day and age, discipline is not a popular topic. But it is a tool God uses to mature us to godly character. This verse is telling us to not turn our back on the very thing we need to grow. Our own rebellion and need for repentance is one reason we need discipline. Discipline helps us see ahead to make a stand before we need to make the choice in front of us.
For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights (3.12)
Hopefully, we catch the fact that He loves us and finds delight in us. When this is evident in a relationship, the discipline is easier to take. In 1 Corinthians 11.32 it says, ”...we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”This is the separation tactic. He loves us, then He disciplines us to keep us from being condemned along with the world. Take it as a sign of how much He cares for you.
This is an act of love! He doesn’t do it to punish us but to spur us on to holiness. Discipline hurts, but in the long run, it doesn’t harm us or destroy us. So when discipline comes and oh, it will, find joy in the fact that you are His and this love is so great, He chooses to separate you from the grip of the world. God uses those assigned to us, such as a parent, to hand out discipline, to bring our lives into holiness and into His ideal plan for us.
Photography: @titus_anthony