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TOUGH LOVE
''The Lord disciplines those He loves...'' Hebrews 12:6
Discipline is a harsh word. It makes you think of teachers in bygone days with the cane and bad breath (at least the cane's gone anyway!) But the D-word doesn't sound very nice, does it? 'I thought God was meant to be all nice and loving and that.'
Ever heard of that phrase 'tough love'? Sometimes God has to give us a spot of that for our own good. One of the hardest things for parents is letting their kids make mistakes and watching them have to go through the painful consequences.
It's like watching a car crash in supreme slow-mo on a HD widescreen. They can see what's about to happen a mile off... but they just have to let them make the mistake so they can learn from it.
Obviously God would rather keep us from the pain. And that's why the Bible is so valuable: it's God's Word and His precaution. He shows us that we have choices, but that following God is consistently and always the right one.
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening! But afterward there will be 'a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way' v.11 NLT). What now? Read 2 Timothy 2:15 for the aim of the game! Then onto Hebrews 12:1-3 for some good advice on what we need to set our sights on and the reasons why.
written by Bob Gass
''The Lord disciplines those He loves...'' Hebrews 12:6
Discipline is a harsh word. It makes you think of teachers in bygone days with the cane and bad breath (at least the cane's gone anyway!) But the D-word doesn't sound very nice, does it? 'I thought God was meant to be all nice and loving and that.'
Ever heard of that phrase 'tough love'? Sometimes God has to give us a spot of that for our own good. One of the hardest things for parents is letting their kids make mistakes and watching them have to go through the painful consequences.
It's like watching a car crash in supreme slow-mo on a HD widescreen. They can see what's about to happen a mile off... but they just have to let them make the mistake so they can learn from it.
Obviously God would rather keep us from the pain. And that's why the Bible is so valuable: it's God's Word and His precaution. He shows us that we have choices, but that following God is consistently and always the right one.
No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening! But afterward there will be 'a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way' v.11 NLT). What now? Read 2 Timothy 2:15 for the aim of the game! Then onto Hebrews 12:1-3 for some good advice on what we need to set our sights on and the reasons why.
written by Bob Gass
