A Worthy Climb Up The Hill

I have a few thoughts about the discipline of the Lord as He guides our lives day to day. Hebrews 12 reminds us to not despise that discipline, because it works for us a righteousness that bears witness that we belong to God through faith in Christ Jesus.

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;

5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM.

6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 

 

This discipline is usually thought of in terms of the Lord chastising us, the way a father may scold, or spank his young son when he is disobedient or is making some bad choices. Any conscientious father will certainly correct his son out of love, and yes the Lord will do the same for us as He leads us daily.

 

But the thought occurred to me that discipline can also mean a lifestyle of  adhering to a set of principles or guidelines for the sake of a great goal or objective. An athlete will follow the discipline of his coach because he wants to gain the victory in whatever sport he competes in.  A musician will also live by a set of guidelines and principles in order to master an instrument or piece of music for a performance or recording. Discipline will help us reach worthy goals and achieve success in the endeavors we may pursue.  As with any worthwhile goal, it isn't easy to live a life of focus and discipline necessary to reach that goal. Sacrifices must be made, the kind of foods we eat, the activities we choose, the people we allow to be close to us, all have an impact on our outlook, and priorities. If we are not careful, some of these things may detract us from  our purpose, therefore at times we sacrifice an immediate good thing to gain a much greater thing later.  

 

As followers of Jesus we are called "disciples" which means learners, but we see the similarity to the word discipline don't we. The discipline of the Lord is to live our lives according to the set of plain instructions and by principles that God has granted to us via His word.  There are some things we don't do, some activities we don't participate in, and yes, some people we don't allow too close to our lives or families.  It isn't because we try to earn salvation by keeping the rules, but rather out of God's love for us, and our love for Him, we live according faith, that whatever we may sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God, we will gain much more back as that kingdom is realized and we enter there at the hill of Zion at the end of our days.   

 

In these days when we are so hesitant to call anything "wrong," or "sin," and when culture tries to blur the differences between right and wrong, it may take some strong determination to live a life of the discipline of the Lord. Strictness, absolutism, even the notion of truth, are not popular at all.  Many will and do despise that discipline, but God calls us to live by it just the same. It will one day bring a reward of lasting righteousness and glory,  and whatever things that seem like loss today, will pale in comparison to what God will grant to His faithful people tomorrow!