Hebrews 12:4-13
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Purity is hard, the struggle is difficult, and we are often tempted to just give up. But as we are reminded in verse 4, "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood". We may whine about how hard it is to be holy, but we can't really compare our sufferings to what Jesus went through. Our complaining also misses the point of our hardship. We may wish that our life was always easy and pleasurable, but that is not God's goal. As verse 11 says, "all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness". There is a purpose for our discipline, in that it ultimately produces righteousness. I often wish for a shortcut or way around this, but that's not in my control. As verse 7 says, "God is treating you as sons". It is because of God's love for us and by the power of His love that we undergo the difficult process of recovery.
Lord, it is not easy to do what is right. But I know you have a purpose in this. Help me to accept Your discipline.
4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.
Purity is hard, the struggle is difficult, and we are often tempted to just give up. But as we are reminded in verse 4, "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood". We may whine about how hard it is to be holy, but we can't really compare our sufferings to what Jesus went through. Our complaining also misses the point of our hardship. We may wish that our life was always easy and pleasurable, but that is not God's goal. As verse 11 says, "all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness". There is a purpose for our discipline, in that it ultimately produces righteousness. I often wish for a shortcut or way around this, but that's not in my control. As verse 7 says, "God is treating you as sons". It is because of God's love for us and by the power of His love that we undergo the difficult process of recovery.
Lord, it is not easy to do what is right. But I know you have a purpose in this. Help me to accept Your discipline.