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Hebrews 12:11
No discipline seems pleasant
at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it
produces a harvest of righteousness and peace
for those who have been trained by it.
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October 29
Discipline for a Harvest When
parents correct their children they don't do so
because they enjoy disciplining them.
Instead it is in order to stop or prevent bad
behavior. Sometimes it is even for a
child's physical safety such as keeping them
from touching a hot stove or playing in traffic.
When God disciplines us, it is for the same
reasons. God wants us to grow healthy and
strong. This can only be done by
preventing bad behavior in us and keeping us out
of harms way. When plants are growing, they
are often in need of pruning. Sometimes it
is because branches grow that do not conform
with the desired shape of a plant.
Other times there are branches that grow that
steal away important nutrients from the plant.
When these branches are removed, more energy can
be focused on growing fruit. Growing fruit
is the main purpose of a plant. As Christians,
our main goal is to grow fruit as well.
This means that we need to have branches removed
from us that do not conform to what God wants
from us. It also means removing things
that steal away our energy from growing fruit.
Pruning, just like discipline, can be a painful
process. But it is a necessary process in
order to be as productive as we can and to bear
as much fruit as possible. |
