Discipline and Trust

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

How true this is.

Isn't is amazing how accepting discipline and trust go hand in hand. I see this most clearly in moments when I'm leading my child who has just misbehaved into the bathroom. Her hand in mine, we go. Often times she is crying as we walk, but she keeps ahold of me, walking right by my side. While she knows what awaits her may sting a bit, she trusts her momma to hold and comfort her after, and not to cause her pain for any reason she can't understand.

Can we view our Loving Father this way? Can we trust God to discipline us for our good? Do we truly trust God to produce righteousness and peace in our lives?

Like my little girl, I don't look forward to being disciplined. I like to cry or pity myself for awhile. One such situation happened a few months ago. I, after two margaritas (and a whole lot of chips and salsa) made a flippant and casual comment to a group of young women in my church's college ministry about "what to expect from your man once married." I was challenged by an older godly women at the table, that my comment wasn't biblical and untrue for couples submitting to each other and the Lord. I, pridefully tried to defend my comment for the next 10 minutes until falling awkwardly silent and anxious to go home.

The next day, God weighed heavily on my heart. I read through my prayer journal and realized that I had prayed for an opportunity to grow in humility the week before. Obviously this was my answer to prayer. God told me I was not right and that I needed to apologize to all the women I had mislead, the specific woman who had challenged me and even to my own husband- who wasn't even there, but whom I had inadvertently disrespected. I cried much that day. I tried to make my comment sound more right. I tried to convince myself I didn't really explain it well enough or that all the women had misunderstood me.

But by the end of the day, God had convinced me of my sin and the ugliness of my pride in refusing to admit it. I followed God's leading-wrote an email and made some phone calls of apology to these women. After repairing these tender hearts and asking for my husband's forgiveness, I felt a hearty weight lifted off my shoulders. It felt good to obey but I still sat discouraged that I had so messed up.

I read back through my journal and realized that I had also asked God to allow me to be joyful in this humility training. No sooner had I thought, "now that's impossible" did God give me 5 reasons that I could be JOYful in His discipline!

1. God hears me! He answered my prayer so swiftly!
2. God is interested in my spiritual growth! He desires to produce a HARVEST of righteousness and peace in my life.
3. I got to demonstrate humility-a quality of Jesus Christ's- to other women who look up to me!
4. I got to be comforted by my husband as I apologized and cried in his arms.
5. God got a victory!

Eating my pride that day was hard, but choosing to trust God and allowing Him to train me produced an immediate peace and even great joy!

Even though my little 3 year old may not recognize it, her smile and freed spirit after a correction reminds me that discipline is good when we trust God (or momma) to be trained by it.

G'night!
Jessica