Happiness Comes Through Discipline

Donna Braman
Guidance Series

DISCIPLINE

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:32, Deuteronomy 8:5-6

I came out of my Mother's womb kicking and screaming to get the "me" thing right. At the age of two I would fall down in the floor and hold my breath until I passed out and just like I wanted, my Mother would then rock me for an hour.  That selfish, rebellious side of me followed me into adulthood and it worked until I began to be parented by the Lord.  There is no one that had to be chastened as many times as I did before I humbled myself to the great Potter.  It took about five years for the Lord to bridle me and believe me he threw me in the fire many times.  It was after coming out of one of these correction periods that I began to sing instead of acting toward God the way I had everyone else to get my way.  I learned that the my Father in heaven was no match and the good thing he begins in you he will finish, even if he has to throw you in the belly of a whale until you see it his way.  Many times in my early walk with the Lord my prayer often was, Lord, show me your way!  I am so thankful to him today for that tough love because I learned the way of true happiness and how to delight myself in Him.

The bible says the man whom God corrects is blessed, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.  The Apostle Paul tells us to not make light of the Lord's discipline, and to not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

King David knew this kind of love very well and he says in Psalm 94:12, Happy are those whom the Lord disciplines.  In the carnal, natural man we think we know how to achieve happiness, but we soon learn in our walk with Christ that we were so far off and all we were grasping at was temporal happiness that somehow we thought would last a life time.  But we soon learn that it disappears and each time our spirit dies a little more.

Solomon, in his great wisdom said, Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray, and to learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. Prov. 10:17 and Prov. 12:1.

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening, it is painful!  But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.  God commands us to discipline our children; you'll be glad you did, they'll turn out delightful to live with.  It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

When we are judged and corrected by the Lord it is his way of letting us know that we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

SEED WORD:

So you should realize that just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you to help you.  So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him.