For whom the Lord loves He chastens,
and scourges every son whom He receives. Now
no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless,
afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been
trained by it. Hebrews 12:6, 11
Chastisement, according to Webster’s 1828* dictionary is “correction; punishment; pain inflicted for punishment
and correction, either by stripes or otherwise.” When our children are little bitty and
discover the electrical outlet, we warn them not to touch; when they poke the
outlet with a plastic teething ring we might warn them again. If they mess around with that outlet once
more a stinging ‘pat’ on the hand and a firm “No!” will usually teach them the
lesson. That lesson equates pain with
playing with outlets, potentially saving them from testing those little holes
with a metal fork later in life. (Mommies – when that little face screws up and
a pitiful wail ensues after the chastisement, just remember that you are
potentially saving your child from future electrocution.)
As Christ followers, we have the privilege of
receiving chastisement from the Ultimate Parent. I say privilege because the Scriptures clearly
state that the Lord chastens those whom He loves. If I am suffering uncomfortable consequences
due to sin, it is because He loves me enough to allow pain to teach me that
wickedness does not bring joy to the believer.
What might that chastisement look like in a Christian’s life?
Gossip can lead to broken relationships and embarrassment.
Pride can lead to demotion, humiliation, loss of
friends and family.
Nagging can lead to stressful marriages that spiral
downward.
Lack of self control (physically or financially) can
lead to broken relationships or shortfalls in a budget.
Refusal to submit to those in authority can lead to
chaos in a home, church, or workplace.
The wonderful news is that chastisement has a purpose
that will always bring peaceable righteousness IF the chastised person is
trained in the midst of the lesson. To
be trained is to be “formed by instruction.” If we are gossipy and choose to learn from the
consequences, we will be formed into one who loves others and understands the
power of words; a nagging wife will be formed in a woman who considers her
husband’s needs and the huge responsibilities that rest on him as the leader,
provider, and protector of the home; a prideful person will become known for
her humility and will not pat herself on the back for that reputation, instead
she will give glory to God alone.
Learning from our chastisement affords a great
opportunity to give honor to the Lord.
He forgives our sin and does not hold it against us; He uses our
brokenness to bring about the peaceable (“free from war, tumult or public
commotion”) fruit of righteousness (“purity of heart”)
that will draw people’s attention to Christ.
Submitting to God and allowing yourself to be humbled will draw you
closer to the One who loves you enough to administer chastisement in order to teach you not to poke the outlet.
Therefore submit
to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God
and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament
and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:7-10
Prayer: Father,
please help me not to waste the training that comes with chastisement. Let me see Your perfect love for me even as I
walk through painful consequences due to my own sinful actions. Amen.
Challenge: Are
you blaming some hard things in your life right now on an ‘attack from the
enemy’? It might certainly be just that,
but take time to examine your heart and be sure. It could be that you are fighting a ‘battle’
that is really a time of training from the Lord.
*all definitions are from Webster's 1828 Dictionary
Jen G. 2012
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