Understanding God's Discipline

One of the questions I’ve struggled with over the years is the topic of God’s discipline. As I walked through some tumultuous seasons, I couldn’t help but wonder “Is God disciplining me? Or is the enemy trying it?”. Did you ever have a similar dilemma? The trying to figure out if it was time for warfare or a time to discern God’s discipline? To help me reason understand God’s discipline, I needed to be able to answer two didactic questions -

1. What is God’s discipline?

2. How can I determine if it’s not God’s discipline, but my own fault or the enemy’s intrusion in my life?

What is God’s discipline?

Discipline means correction. It means when God allows uncomfortable events, situations or seasons into our lives for the purpose of training us in righteousness. Have you ever had a father figure in your life that you just know you can’t get away with anything around them? You know they love you, but be careful how you misbehave because you’ll definitely be corrected. God is a dad. The Dad actually, and His job is to discipline us so we can make progress in our faith and truly enjoy the life He’s given to us. . If God didn’t discipline us, we wouldn't be His legitimate children.

'Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline — which all receive — then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. ' Hebrews 12:7-11 (CSB, emphasis mine)

'for the Lord disciplines the one he loves, just as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights. ' Proverbs 3:12

Prov 13:24, Prov 22:15, Rev 3:19

How can I determine if a certain issue or negative occurrence in my life is God’s discipline?

Discipline does not mean harm. Just as a good father does not murder their children, or inflict them with life threatening diseases to discipline them, so also God does not. He however can put us in very uncomfortable situations for our growth. Sickness, death, loss of a loved one are not God’s way of disciplining His children. But that tough boss, uncomfortable situation, stressful co-worker might be God’s instrument for His discipline to grow you in righteousness (Matt 7: 7 -11).

Concluding Thoughts/Action Items

Always listen to God and adhere to His discipline. God will continue to love and care for you for as long as it takes, but don’t get so hardened that He would have to leave you alone (Romans 1:28).