If earthly parents administer consequences, why should we be surprised when God exercises His authority to correct our behaviors? Truthfully, we should not be shocked by this notion. He is, after all, our Heavenly Father. As such, He disciplines His children out of love and a desire to see each of us reach His desired outcome for our lives (i.e., eternal life with Him in Heaven). Therefore, as God’s children we should embrace the unexpected blessings found in His discipline.
A Personal Example of Experiencing God’s Discipline
Just the other day, I found myself facing a concerning situation with someone special in my life. Based upon a long history with this individual, I assumed one thing about their motivation. After all, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Right? According to a Linkedin post on February 26, 2017, by psychologist Joshua Wood, experts cannot agree who coined the phrase (possibly psychologists Albert Ellis, Walter Michel, and B.F. Skinner or, perhaps, a writer like Mark Twain). Regardless, I wholeheartedly have lived by that theory. Unfortunately, I am here to tell you I was wrong when I made an assumption about the motivation behind my loved one’s actions. Really wrong, in fact.
Disclosing the nature of my misperception is irrelevant in this case for several reasons. First, I want to maintain anonymity for this individual and the circumstances surrounding the event. Additionally, the purpose behind this post is not based upon my exact misperception. Not at all. In fact, what matters is what followed my mistake. (However, feel free to check out my post “Watching our for the Hidden Dangers of Misperception” if you want to explore this topic further.)
Once I realized my error, I immediately sought out this individual and apologized, sharing my deep regret and remorse. In addition, I apologized to God. For you see, as I recognized my mistake, my Heavenly Father was showing me the sin I had committed. I was guilty of judging someone else, which is solely His job (Romans 8:33, NIV and countless other translations)! Once He shed light on the situation for me, I needed (and wanted) to apologize. Essentially, as one of His children, I strive to live as much like Jesus as I can each day, and in that moment I had fallen short.
In truth, we are all sinners. Every. Single. Day. Regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge that fact or not, each of us sins and needs correction.
Similarities Between an Earthly Parent and The Divine Parent
I have said this in previous posts. God desires for us to serve as His hands, feet, and voice in the world (see my “Finding God’s Refuge in a Stranger’s Hospitality” post). One of the ways we accomplish this is through parenting children.
Parents and guardians, alike, are tasked with the enormous responsibility of teaching their children what behaviors are necessary for future success as adults in this world. Shaping a child’s behaviors is borne of deep love for the soul entrusted to their care. Therefore, parental figures must administer consequences (both positive and negative) on the path towards achieving the desired outcome (i.e., socially acceptable behaviors and future successful adults).
God is our Divine Parent. He loves His children unconditionally and only desires the best for each of us. Although He gave us free will, He knows us better than we know ourselves. After all, what do you expect? He created each of us! He knows we will make mistakes and, at times, require corrective discipline. Since our Heavenly Father has promised to never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8, NIV), He stands at the ready to lovingly redirect our behaviors, guiding us to live a more righteous life.
Despite the sometimes painful, humbling, {fill in the blank} correction, God’s discipline is borne of a deep, unconditional love for us. He desires to accompany His children, including you and me, on life’s journey where the desired outcome, or destination, is eternal life with Him in Heaven.
What Scripture Says about God’s Discipline
According to Scripture, in a dream God granted King Solomon’s wish for “…a wise and discerning heart…” (1 Kings 3:12, NIV). In fact, in the dream God elaborates by saying, “I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be” (1 Kings 3:12, NIV).
Possessing God’s self-professed unmatched gifts of wisdom and discernment, King Solomon was arguably the wisest man to ever live. Therefore, it comes as no surprise he had a great deal to say about God’s discipline. First and foremost, King Solomon declared, “… the Lord disciplines those he loves…” (Proverbs 3:12, NIV). This statement affirms our Heavenly Father’s unconditional, never-ending love for His children (even in the midst of discipline).
As we previously discussed, God has a deep love for His children. His desired outcome has never changed throughout the ages (i.e., eternal life with Him in Heaven). Well, King Solomon addressed this point, too. Scripture tells us Solomon declared, “Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to [eternal] life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray” (Proverbs 10:17, NIV). Even King Solomon in all his wisdom wanted others to know the blessings found in God’s discipline!
Closing Thoughts and a Call to Action
God desires for His children to live more Christ-like lives on the path to righteousness. Just like our earthly parents, our Heavenly Father possesses a deep, unconditional love for each of us, including you. He longs to see every single one of His children achieve the desired outcome of spending eternity with Him in Heaven. Knowing His creation like He does, God realizes we will make mistakes and sin. However, the good news is He remains by our side, ready to lovingly provide the correction necessary to make our paths straight and guide us to our final destination, eternal life with Him in Heaven (Proverbs 3:6, NIV; Proverbs 3:6, NIRV). Therefore, embrace the unexpected blessings found in God’s discipline!