Hebrews 12:12-13

Summary retelling of Hebrews 12:12-13

Because of God’s discipline we are told to be strong and persevere rather than act dejectedly.  We are to learn to walk straight so that anything that is out of line can be fixed rather than permanently displaced.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The first point that the author of Hebrews makes is with respect to how we receive God’s discipline.  It is easy to be disciplined and then droop.  We can act miserable when things don’t go our way.  We can act as though our life is wretched.  We can mope around and feel sorry for ourselves.

Have you ever had a pity-party for yourself when things don’t go your way?  Have you ever gotten depressed about how crummy your life seems?  Why can these be natural reactions?  How are these completely unbeneficial reactions in the long run?

Second Thought:

Another response that we can have when we are disciplined is to rebel against the discipline.  In this case, we intentionally go against what is good for us.  Instead of fixing what needs fixed, we continue to let something that is broken remain broken.  In fact, we reinforce its brokenness.  Think of it like a broken bone.  We can either set the bone and put a cast around it (bringing discipline) or we can let the bone remain broken (let the bone heal however it happens to be).  The bone that is allowed to heal without being set will not be strong and it is likely that when it tries to repair itself the effectiveness of the bone/appendage will be permanently greatly diminished.  The same is true about us as human beings.  The longer we rebel and let bad habits stay reinforced the less useful we will be in those areas.

What habits have you allowed to continue in spite of the discipline that God was trying to bring into your life?  How did they become more entrenched within you?  In what ways did they become harder and harder to correct as time went on?

Third Thought:

Our third option when we are disciplined is to walk the straight and narrow.  We repent and change.  We allow that which is broken to be set properly.  Again, think back to that broken bone.  When properly set and allowed to heal correctly, a broken bone is often stronger at the point where the break occurred.  When we are disciplined and embrace correction, we learn from our mistakes and are less likely to do them again.

What have you allowed God to discipline you in your life?  How has this process allowed you to become stronger?

Passage for Tomorrow: Hebrews 12:14-17