Knowing The Truth Behind Why God Disciplines Those He Loves

“The Bible teaches in Hebrews 12:6 that ‘whom the Lord loves, he disciplines,'” it states, indicating that divine correction is a sign of God’s adoption. Yet, the notion that God metes out punishment to those He cherishes appears to contradict human wishes.

It is important to understand that God disciplines those he loves because it will change how we react once we perceive it through new eyes. If you’ve reached this point in your relationship with God, know that he has chosen you as his own, and it is his personal goal to shape you into the person he desires you to be.

What Is The Significance Of Discipline And Love?

Like the connection between dads and their children on Earth, God utilizes discipline to rectify improper behavior. Being a parent involves applying punishment regularly. You could even agree that becoming a parent is the most challenging aspect, as most parents discipline their kids the same way they were punished as kids.

Disciplining your child for misbehaving is essential for their future and is not “cruel.” Train your character through discipline. Instead of setting strict boundaries and seeing our children stumble, teaching them good behavior[1] always involves pointing them toward God.

God is benevolent. God is loving, and following his goodness, he punishes wrongdoing. God disciplines us to keep us on a road that would provide us with the finest life possible—a life spent in communion with Him—rather than to get back at us.

What Is God’s Discipline And What Does It Look Like?

Will God bless the children he disciplines? Certainly! God’s discipline resembles setting limits to instill respect in his children’s hearts and enforcing them when his children willfully cross them. In addition to this, we had earthly dads who disciplined us and whom we respected, according to Hebrews 12:9.

The Ten Commandments are ten detailed instructions that God provided to Israel. Out of all the things God told his people at that time, the fifth commandment states, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). It’s crucial since God thought parental dignity and obedience were essential enough to discuss from the summit of Mount Sinai.

Even in the time of the apostle Paul, the instructions remained the same. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord; it is right to do so,” says Ephesians 6:1–3. Respect your parents in order for things to go well for you and for you to prosper in the land.

Consider it this way: earthly fathers who appropriately correct their children are showing an act of kindness in the same way that God loves and chastises every son. The law is a torch, instruction is a light, and disciplinary reproofs and various trials are a way of life (Proverbs 6:23), preparing us to receive the eternal weight of God’s glory.

The Wrong Reaction To Discipline

It states, “Do not minimize the Lord’s correction and do not become discouraged when he rebukes you” (Proverbs 3:11). He adds that the first incorrect response is to make light of it. One method or another of blowing off the Lord’s punishment is to make fun of it.

You can tend to believe in the gospel of health, riches, and success, which holds that God only ever bestows rewards in the ways that humans define them in this world. And only Satan could take away any of your blessings from this world.

Friends, don’t be fooled; the Lord can give and take away; that is not true. He can do it through Satan as well. In many of these situations, Satan acts as God’s lackey, yet God, our loving Father, is the one who is acting.

Don’t laugh it off or dismiss it; instead, take it seriously and firmly believe that only God can do such deeds. God does punish us for our misdeeds, and He routinely engages in this kind of behavior.

The opposite fault indicated here is to become discouraged when he corrects you. These are various types of people. These people are aware that everything has to do with God, but because they misunderstand it, they experience depression. Biblical terms for depression include being crushed and losing heart.

And when these problematic situations occur, they don’t turn back to God correctly. They become sad and discouraged; their knees weaken, and they cannot continue living a Christian life; they are crushed and discouraged by it.

There are two inappropriate responses to discipline. At that point, a person has lost sight of justification by faith alone, independent of good deeds, and has forgotten that they now possess all of Christ’s righteousness and deep love. They are righteous in God’s eyes without performing any legalistic obligations.

They have forgotten these things, and as a result, they are mired in darkness and sorrow, ignoring that they will go to heaven when they pass away. They also forgot the fact that they are God’s offspring. They are more than conquerors, too. Due to their sin, God is merely punishing them.

The Encouragement Of Discipline

The author of Hebrews uses the metaphor of a runner to educate us to throw off everything that would hinder our progress and the sin that holds us back so that we might run as far as we can in life.

He has instructed us to focus on the finish line, where our Savior is waiting for us. He has also attempted to inspire us by warning us to remember Jesus’ tremendous fortitude so we can run the long and arduous course with perseverance.

Discipline is not intended to be a day at the beach or a trip to Disney World. Discipline is strict. Punishment is expensive. Discipline will drain you and make you feel like you have nothing left to give to the cause, but discipline also demonstrates your capacity.

Discipline is an invaluable, irreplaceable gift frequently regarded with contempt, mockery, and disgust. Everyone enjoys seeing the results of discipline in the lives of those who have succumbed to its teaching, even though the advantages of discipline have been considerably discounted in our day.

You have not yet fought sin to the point of shedding your blood, according to Hebrews 12:4–6. The Lord disciplines those he loves and punishes everyone he accepts as a son. If you are undisciplined, you are illegitimate children, not sons true to the Lord. You have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you.”

The Purpose Of Discipline And Why It’s Necessary

God helps us match our hearts with his own using the disciplines. We can learn about God’s character, his ways of working, and his expectations of us by studying his Word. He connects our hearts through prayer and understanding Bible verses. We undergo the sanctification process’s transformation, resulting in a life change; it is not something to regard lightly.

We start to comprehend God’s desires and adopt them as our own. As we age, we resemble our Creator more and more. Our Father uses our time with him to form and shape us; the Lord disciplines the one he loves. We start to view ourselves and others through his eyes as our hearts soften. We come to the realization that we are God’s children—his true sons and daughters—and we can endure hardship in his name.

As we watch believers in desperate circumstances, we see God directing everything. We sincerely present our needs to the Lord in prayer and watch as he provides. Our heavenly Father’s discipline brings us to his feet and teaches us to acknowledge and depend on his strength. This makes us accustomed to meeting with him and relying on him, which inevitably leads to a growing faith.

The Proper Response To Discipline

Accepting discipline shows maturity and humility, traits that reveal one’s character. A person who resists discipline thinks he is beyond receiving criticism from others or God. So, rejoice in the knowledge that your punishment is for your good and is one way God demonstrates his love for you.

1. Start Easy, But Commit To It—Just One Or Two Disciplines At First

There are at least 12 disciplines that you could be inspired to practice regularly; don’t let the scope of what needs to be performed prevent you from the beginning. Moreover, you can also ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to achieve this. Consider that the punishment is bitter now, but it will turn into a sweet and peaceful fruit later.

2. Identify Responsibility

Having someone to motivate, inspire, and drive you toward your objective can be beneficial. As you embark on this path, give someone the freedom to speak the truth into your life. Training for something on your own is a very challenging endeavor. Having a partner on the road with you will make developing solid spiritual disciplines in your life much more straightforward.

3. Create Space By Releasing Something

Although we all have a lot on our plates, we should be able to set aside 10 to 15 minutes each day to begin practicing some basic techniques. Letting something go is the best approach to finding this moment.

The Benefits Of Discipline

Discipline includes putting off short-term pleasure and quick gratification in favor of longer-term gains or more rewarding outcomes, even when doing so requires effort and time. You can choose and then stick with the actions, ideas, and behaviors that improve and lead to success if you have discipline.

1. By Eliminating Distractions From Your Life, Discipline Enables You To Accomplish Your Goals

According to research, self-control isn’t about deprivation. It is about handling conflict and coming to conclusions that align with your objectives. Consider that God disciplined his children because he wanted them to focus on their devotions. You can apply that same self-discipline to other aspects of your life.

2. Good Students Are Produced By Discipline, As Are Lifelong Learners

Students who are disciplined tend to be more intelligent and driven. According to research, more self-disciplined students may be better able to concentrate on long-term objectives and make better decisions regarding their academic participation.

3. Disciplined Children Are Better Equipped To Develop And Accomplish Goals

Goal-conflict emotional management has a good relationship with self-control. This indicates that even when difficulties and challenges happen, a disciplined person can overcome them and accomplish their objectives, leading to higher fulfillment rates.

4. You Can Resist Temptations By Exercising Discipline

According to one study, exercising self-control prevents people from being sidetracked by momentary pleasures and temptations, which enables them to accomplish the goals they hold dear in life. Researchers refer to this as “effortful inhibition,” which is essential to reaching all long-term objectives.

5. Encourages Self-Awareness

When you develop the ability to be self-disciplined, you learn more about yourself and your capabilities. You can recognize your talents and limitations and work on them according to the demands of the circumstances, which allows you to eliminate the personality traits preventing you from succeeding.

After a while, you stop relying on your friend or sibling to judge you more favorably. Your best critic is now you. Trust God that he will be there for you to achieve this. Believe that the Lord loves you, and his discipline is what every son in his kingdom receives.

3 Legit Reasons Why God Disciplines Those He Loves

God’s discipline ultimately aims to provide us with the capacity for self-training—to manage one’s actions, feelings, and thoughts to benefit oneself and those around one. Traditional punishment lays the groundwork for this by assisting children in developing enduring positive character characteristics and an understanding of the repercussions of their conduct.

God Loves Us

“Do not take the Lord’s punishment lightly or lose heart when you are reprimanded by him; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves,” the author of Hebrews advised (Proverbs 3:11–12). According to a note in Proverbs 3:11–12, “To beg God to withhold discipline from us would be to ask him to love us less.” Therefore, if God disciplines you, don’t let it discourage you. The fact that the Lord corrects you in your life proves that God loves you in his own way.

God Is A Good Father

Both the authors of Proverbs and Hebrews draw a parallel between a human father’s correction of a son and God’s correction of us. God corrects us “much as a parent corrects the son in whom he takes pleasure” (Proverbs 3:12). “God is treating you like sons. What son exists for which a parent does not enforce discipline?” (Hebrew 12:7).

We are aware that human fathers are fallible, and as a result, their discipline is fallible. Human dads occasionally discipline when they shouldn’t or punish improperly, even when their intentions are good. On the other hand, everything that God does is good and ideal. Because God’s word is good, his discipline is good.

God Wants What Is Best For Us

Our biological fathers “trained us for a brief period according to what appeared good to them” (Hebrew 12:10). An admission that they didn’t always get things right, despite having the best of intentions, was what they thought was beneficial.

God, on the other hand, constantly uses discipline for our good so that we can reflect on his holiness. It teaches those who have been schooled by it, and they bear the soft fruit of righteousness. God’s discipline is not meant to punish us but to change us. God disciplines us to prepare us for a life of service and blessing, not to subdue us.

Summary

Every child faces punishment because their parents value and love them. Because we are God’s children and he is our heavenly father, he treats us equally. Even though we might not have realized it at the time, our discipline is beneficial. God never punishes us or causes us to suffer; instead, God chooses difficult situations to strengthen and develop our character.

The disciplines we are undergoing will be beneficial to us. It will aid in generating endurance and strength for the longer-term goals God intends for our lives. Because discipline helps us become more like Christ, no discipline is useless.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does The Bible Say About God Disciplines Those He Loves?

The Bible says that God disciplines those He loves as a father disciplines his child, teaching that divine correction is a sign of God’s love and concern for our well-being and spiritual growth.

What Does It Mean When God Disciplines You?

When God disciplines you, it means He is guiding and correcting you out of love, aiming to steer you away from wrongdoing and towards a path that leads to spiritual maturity and righteousness.

How Is God’s Discipline An Expression Of His Love?

God’s discipline is an expression of His love because it shows His commitment to our growth and development, similar to how a parent disciplines a child to teach them right from wrong and to protect them.

Where In The Bible Does It Say God Chastens Those He Loves?

In the Bible it says that God chastens those He loves in Hebrews 12:6, highlighting that divine discipline is a sign of God’s loving relationship with His children.