Hebrews 12:9-11

Summary retelling of Hebrews 12:9-11

We know from this life that when raised properly we come to respect those who cared enough to discipline us.  Should that not make us more willing to be subject to God, His ways, and His life?  Parents discipline us for only a short time in our life – as they see fit.  God disciplines us our whole life in ways that He knows are good.  Through His discipline we share His righteousness.  We shouldn’t forget that in the moment of discipline it seems painful; but once the lesson is learned there is great fruit that is brought about in our lives.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I love the point that the author makes about God disciplining us our whole lives, yet parents only discipline us for a short time.  The reason I love this point is because it really drives home one of the problems of humanity.  Most teens – myself included – can’t wait to get out of their parents’ house, out from under their rule, and out on our own.  We want to escape discipline.  We want to make our own decisions.  That is the self-monger at its ugliest!  The reality is that we live best when we are subject to the discipline of another – especially God!  We should not try to get out from the discipline of another but instead recognize that being under the discipline of God, spiritual mentors, and even parents is where we belong.

Why is escaping the discipline of parents inherent to being young?  What lessons can we learn about humanity in that we all try to escape the discipline of those who truly love us?

Second Thought:

Through God’s discipline we share in God’s righteousness.  Please be careful with this, though.  We are not righteous because we obey God’s discipline.  We are righteous because Christ covered our sins on the cross.  However, when God disciplines us, He is showing us the way of the righteous.  Since we are covered by Christ’s death, we have access to walk the path of God’s righteousness.

Why must we be careful here that we do not fall into works righteousness with respect to this idea?  Where does God’s righteousness come from?  What role might the Holy Spirit play in this process?

Third Thought:

Discipline always seems painful in the moment.  None of us like hearing that we are wrong.  None of us like seeing our faults.  None of us like having to make apologies or even reparations.  Yet, it is in those moments that we learn, change, and become better people.  Human beings usually learn far more from their failures than they do from their successes.  Good discipline bears good fruit.

Does the quality of the relationship affect how we experience discipline from a person or from God?  What fruit can you honestly see yourself having experienced in the last year or so due to God’s discipline?  What is the inherent connection between God’s discipline and your spiritual growth?  What can we then conclude about a person who is not growing spiritually?

Passage for Tomorrow: Hebrews 12:12-13