accepting discipline...

"this hurts me more than it hurts you..." these were the exact words my mom and dad used before they disciplined me...have you ever heard these words? have you ever said these words?

as a child it was hard to understand how my parent's correction and discipline could hurt them more than it hurt me...after all...i was the one on the receiving end of the pain and suffering! =) i had many mental conversations with myself on this very subject...how can they say that when i am the one confined to my room for the week?

as i got older...i started understanding this term...and my heart began to understand the Father's correction...it helped that i had already made the decision to allow God to be the Lord of my life...i was surrendered to His leadership in my life...surrender meant accepting and submitting...accepting His unconditional love and undeserved grace for my sin and submitting to His correction and discipline in my life...trusting Him to use His word to shape me into the person He wanted me to be...i was and i am today the object of His great love...

the Lord's correction and discipline is given to everyone He loves, accepts, and cherishes in His heart...according to ephesians 1:5, through Jesus Christ we are adopted as sons of God...therefore...as His children we are entitled to His great love and His loving hand of discipline...

admittedly...it took me some time to willingly submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord...at times...the process was painful and difficult...asking me to give up things i took pleasure in...when i obeyed though...i always saw a positive result...two truths came to life: discipline is good...and discipline is necessary to help me become like Christ...

i felt His great love as God would tell me, "no honey...don't watch that show anymore" or "elena...that relationship is not really beneficial to you...it would be in your best interest to break away from it..."when i submitted to the discipline...i could see that He really loved me and wanted what was best for me...

so how exactly does it "hurt me more then it will hurt you?" because of the love...the giver loves so deep and in a way the receiver cannot understand until the discipline is accepted and applied...and the receiver matures...eventually...the one receiving the discipline and correction realizes that discipline brings what he or she has always longed for: security, comfort, and peace...

there have been times that i needed help from the Father to accept and apply His loving discipline to my life...but what i know is that He loves me enough not to overlook my faults...He wants me to be all that He has planned...i know sometimes i have stubbornly stood in the way of the work of His great love...it warms my heart to know that He accepts and cherishes me...enough to discipline me when i need it...

the next time you need to accept discipline...remember the love of the Father who uses correction to shape you into the person He has designed you to be...