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Embracing Discipline: A Path to Righteousness
In this reflection on Hebrews 12:11, explore the important role of discip… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Ugh, discipline. Who likes it? Who really wants to submit to it? Let’s meditate today though on Hebrews chapter 12, verse 11, which has something to say about the benefits of discipline. 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.
We generally don’t like discipline of any kind. The discipline that is just training in difficult things or the discipline that is being chastised for mistakes. Both can be painful.
I often think of the Karate Kid who is trained by Miyagi even when he doesn’t know he’s being trained. He goes through the pain of waxing and polishing a car of painting fences, and at the end of his training, he thinks it’s all been a waste of time. But then Miyagi comes at him with some moves and the Karate Kid immediately blocks them with all of these moves that he’s painfully learned, that have built that muscle memory.
And so my friends, it’s often like that for us in the way that God leads us through discipline. When we emerge from that time of discipline we often discover that we have grown, we’ve been stretched, we are equipped in a way that we weren’t before.
Discipline can be painful, but it yields this peaceful fruit of righteousness, says the writer of Hebrews. If we’ve been trained by God’s discipline that will lead us towards righteousness. Righteousness in ourselves, and the ability to help others to grow in righteousness too.
So please take heart whatever you are going through, if it is uncomfortable, difficult, something you would rather change, maybe it will change, and by all means, pray for that, but also accept and receive whatever God is doing through the now. Because in all things, he is working for the good of those who love him and who are called according to his purposes.
If you have accepted Jesus, that is you. And God’s discipline is working towards righteousness in your life.
