Discipline

Harboring the right conditions for growth or discipline is hard work. Anyone who has gone through this process would agree with the Hebrew writer who said, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.”

I must confess that my discipleship under Jesus Christ is more like a slave-master relationship. I am not always happy about the work that I’ve been given and quite often I do not appreciate how the LORD does His part. What often drives me to take the next step is the promise of peace. Listen to what the Hebrew writer says: “Later on, however, [discipline] produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). The Hebrew writer doesn’t just promise peace, but “a harvest of peace.”

In this chaotic and stress filled world, who doesn’t want peace? Who will blame me for doing things for the sake of comfort? I crave it and this is what I am eyeing and pursuing.

Peace, however, is not the goal of discipline. Neither is righteousness, which is the other thing the Hebrew writer mentions. Righteousness and peace are really the bountiful fruits of discipline. But for this restless, spiritual adolescent, peace is my goal.

In the big picture, God’s goal is for us to participate in His Holiness (Hebrews 12:10). In other words, God wants us to be Godlike. God desires His children to grow up to become like Him. This is God’s joy. Growing up into Godliness should be the goal of discipline, so God wants us to fix our eyes on this. The Hebrew writer says,

…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…who for the joy set fore Him endured the cross, scorning its shame…consider Him who endured such opposition…so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. –Hebrews 12:1-3

To accomplish God’s goal in my life, I have a brutal personal trainer named Fear. Fear is not the best trainer I have, but he sees to it that no bitter root grows in me. He pushes me to the Grace of God (Hebrews 12:15). Fear disciplines me by warning me that “without holiness no one will see God” (12:14). He puts me on alert that I could become an orphan if I abandon my birthright (12:16).

If God wants to grow something in me like righteousness and holiness, that’s fine. But in this season of my growth, I’m looking for peace, so I’ll endure the discipline if it will bring me a bumper crop of peace. I know that this is not what my eyes should be “fixed” on, but that’s okay because all of my trainers continuously remind me that peace is only a shadow of a reality. The reality is ultimately found in a Person and His name is Jesus. He is the true Prince of Peace.