“Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord, the one you teach from your law” Psalm 94:12

I want you to think about the last time you were disciplined. You messed up. You faced discipline for your actions and it probably wasn’t pleasant.

As we experience discipline in our lives, it can feel discouraging. In these seasons of life, you need to be extra careful to guard your heart and mind because Satan loves to twist your thinking, especially when you are at your lowest. The devil will want you to think that your discipline is either:

  A) Underserved. Your sin wasn’t really THAT bad and didn’t warrant these consequences, right? This is totally unfair and uncalled for.

  Or 

  B) Proof you are nothing more than your mistakes. You have messed up real bad this time, and nothing good can come from you now. You are defined by these poor choices forever. 

But Satan’s lies and deceptions are simply that - they are untrue! To address Lie A) ALL sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). You are deserving of death for your sin, and if life was fair, you would be hanging on the cross instead of Christ. To address Lie B) Christ is not finished with you. While the world around you might not be so quick to forgive, God forgave your sins the moment you turned to repent and has purified you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Your life is not defined by your mistakes even though you are experiencing discipline.

While discipline is rarely, if ever, enjoyable, today’s verse reminds us that it is a BLESSING to be disciplined. God loves you so much that He has chosen to correct you in your wicked, sinful behavior and call you to repentance. He has granted you an opportunity to turn from your sin and come running back to righteous living. God is refining you through discipline. He is getting rid of the old, wicked behaviors that were heavy in your life and heart and restoring you to righteous living. 

While Satan whispers, “You’re done. Nothing you do matters now.” 

God says, “I’m not finished with you. I am calling you back to all that I have planned for you in love.”

Discipline is a blessing and a reminder that God loves you and is calling you to a life of righteousness. God cares for you so much He sent his one and only son to die on the cross to pay your debt, and erase the sin that separates you from the Father’s love. Discipline is a reminder of the sacrifice made on our behalf and that we are called to live a life of righteousness.

Job 5:17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the almighty.”

Photo Credit : Vitaly Gariev via unsplash.com