Love’s Discipline
David W Palmer
(Revelation 3:19 NLT) “I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference (lukewarm-ness).”
(Proverbs 15:5 NLT) Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise.
This word from God can be very hard to take: “I correct and discipline everyone I love.” We “feel” that if God loves us, he should be like the ultimate Santa Clause and just give us things to make us feel special, warm, and fuzzy. But God is much wiser than that; he knows our potential; he wants us to grow into mature sons and daughters. Our loving heavenly Father wants us to grow out of our character flaws, immaturity, and weaknesses into our destiny. That’s why he disciplines and corrects us:
(Hebrews 12:5–6 NLT) “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, ‘My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. {6} For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.’”
It is vitally important for us to see Father’s correction as the “God-who-is-love” wanting what’s best for us, his children—the ones he created and is training to act fully in his image and likeness. Then, when the pruning, discipline, and correction come, we won’t give up. After all, divine disciplining is proof that God is treating us like his own children:
(Hebrews 12:7–9 NLT) “As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? {8} If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. {9} Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?”
If we endure his loving correction without giving up, look at the benefits:
Is every test, trial, difficulty, and suffering in this life a discipline from our heavenly Parent? Is it all Father’s correction or is it an enemy attack? If it is demonic, how do we know the difference? Where do we draw the line? I know it’s not always easy to distinguish an enemy attack from Father’s loving discipline, but with God’s help and through the wise counsel of his word, it is possible.
The devil would love to deceive us into believing that his lying, stealing, death-motivated, evil onslaught is really God at work. However, God always corrects us in line with his word—leading to repentance and improvement. The enemy, on the other hand, condemns us, leading to regret, depression, despair, and despondency. Satan never improves us; he makes us want to give up, hide in a cave, withdraw from Spirit-filled fellowship, look to substances for coping and comfort, or run to others for some sympathy and pity. The enemy’s attacks draw us into comfort food, self-destructive behavior, or anything that can numb our pain. But God leads us through godly sorrow to repentance, which leads to a fresh burst of love and life—passionate first love and a hot spiritual life built exclusively on God’s word:
(2 Corinthians 7:10 APE) “For grief that is for God’s sake produces a remorse of the soul … and restores to life, but the grief of the world produces death.”
Get ready for some correction from Jesus. In context of our opening scripture, the primary flaw he is targeting is the one in the following passage—lukewarm-ness:
(Revelation 3:15–18 NLT) “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! {16} But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I wi
