by David Brenneman
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid." Proverbs 12:1.
Probably most don't like the idea of discipline. It's rules. It's not being allowed to do this or that.
Yet we all learned the discipline of learning. Learning to communicate with the world. Learning how to move about in our world. Some discipline was more tailored towards special needs. Some cannot speak yet learned how to talk with devices such as those that I work on.
The discipline of the Lord is the perfected version of the discipline we had as children from our parents or guardians.
We had those over us to teach us the things we would need to know to get on with living a life in our future in the world.
The similarities continue. Likely we have times when we don't understand the lessons being taught and ask questions. In the Lord we ask questions because of what we're going through isn't making much sense. .
To fight the discipline of the Lord is what's stupid. Fight what is absolutely going to be for our benefit?
Yet there are Believers out there who are doing just that. They aren't going to Church because of some incident that happened to them or others.
They aren't going for_______. Fill in the blank.
Excuses. No excuse will cut it when we stand before Jesus to give an account of our lives before Him.
That's just the truth about His promise of the discipline that's for our benefit.
There's no excuse that we might give that will be ok with Jesus for disobedience.
If God leads you to something He will lead you through it.
That theme is throughout the Bible.
Sometimes the things He wants us to do are incredibly difficult and we have no control over or context to relate to. Look at Peter and his learning to accept the Gentiles.
Our struggles are not against flesh and blood but rather against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The disciplines we learn and absolutely do need to learn are for the spiritual battles that we will engage in.
We need to learn how to accurately identify our enemies. We need to learn how to lay hold of the promises of God in Christ Jesus. We need to go through the discipline of the Spirit’s Basic Training Course to know how to be a soldier in the armies of God. We have to learn how to walk with Jesus. How to not fall behind or get ahead of Him. We need to learn the aspect of building up endurance in that so that we can truly run the race set before us.
Realize there IS a race set before you.
You need the disciplines taught by the Spirit of God to build up your endurance to do so. You need to learn how to pace yourself with Jesus.
Paul wrote of a transformed life. This is the life that eagerly received the discipline of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ask for more. As odd as that sounds. Ask for more because of what you and I know of Psalms 23.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalms 23:1-6.
This is the will of God for us...our sanctification. Our transformation into being like Jesus. Our discipline, our learning in the Lord.
We should always want what God our Father wants for us. It's going to take us down roads that are going to be difficult at times and different.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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