How do you define God? The dictionary defines Him as the Creator and ruler of the universe and source of all power and moral authority; the supreme being. But most folks won’t be compelled to follow God based on a definition in the dictionary. One concept that Jesus often promoted in His teaching about God was Father. He is our heavenly Father.
There are a lot of roles a father plays: teacher, provider, and disciplinarian, just to name a few. It’s the discipline part that can be one of the hardest aspects of God to accept. However, when we consider the words in Hebrews 12:5-7, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son. So, endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? … (9) How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! … “God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness.”
God’s goal is that we would emulate His character; but how could we ever match up? Consider this scene in Genesis 22:1-14, Abraham’s call to be like God. Abraham was called to offer up his one and only son as a sin-sacrifice. The amazing thing is that Abraham was willing to do whatever it took to be faithful to God; He trusted the promises of God. How does our faith match up? He was willing to go through the discipline (the action of conforming to God’s character). Or as Hebrews 12:11 continues, “[discipline] produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Abraham’s heavenly father, and ours, wants us to enjoy the peace that makes up His nature, that He is earnestly helping us embrace. As our children grow older, it doesn’t take much effort to see if our “discipline” worked in their life or not. Our children’s actions can become a great source of pride, or a painful regret.
Proverbs 19:18, “Discipline your children while there is hope. If you don't, you will ruin their lives.” (NLT) At first glance this seems like an odd proverb, but this actually speaks of a father’s love. He wants to make you a better person, but to do that may require discipline. Proverbs 13:24, “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” And in Proverbs 22:15, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.”
Unfortunately, our culture doesn’t value the act of discipline very much. Whether it’s personal self-control or disciplining a child so they can learn from someone who loves them, rather than learning the hard way; we must learn to see how God has disciplined us so that we can be like Him.
Consider the great lengths that God has gone through to show loving discipline to His followers. Jesus came to offer us a better life. An abundant life (John 10:10), a life with a peace-filled purpose (Ephesians 2:10), an eternal life (John 17:3, John 3:16)!
Think about the sacrifices your father made. He wasn’t a perfect man, but did he do what was best for you? Not everyone can say yes to that, but we have a Heavenly Father who is willing and able to offer a wonderful life to those who will accept His discipline to shape us into a people with a character like His.
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