"All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness."
No one likes being disciplined. No one enjoys hard times. But sometimes it's necessary.
If a parent doesn't discipline their child properly, the child will never grow into a healthy and happy adult. A spoiled child causes trouble, not only for those around him, but for himself as well. A good parent doesn't discipline the child because they get some perverse joy out of it. They do it because they know that it is what the child needs.
In a lot of ways, we are God's children. He is trying to raise us so that we might be a blessing to those around us. He wants us to be more like Him. Often that means that we need discipline. God doesn't do this because He wants to see us hurt. He does this because He wants to see us grow in our faith.
Just like that child might become bitter and angry at his parents, often we become angry with God when we are being disciplined. But with maturity, we learn to see discipline as the loving act that it is. We look back at the difficulties that shaped us into who we are today, and if we're honest with ourselves, we realize that they were good for us in the long run.
Can you think of a time when God disciplined you? Can you thank Him today for the good that discipline brought about in your life?
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