Everlasting Father: Loves and Disciplines
Romans 2:4 (MSG)
Or do you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.
Romans 2:4
God’s kindness leads us to repentance.
Hebrews 12:5–11 (MSG)
My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline,
but don’t be crushed by it either.
It’s the child he loves that he disciplines;
the child he embraces, he also corrects.
God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live?
Questions for Reflection:
- How would you define the difference between punishment and discipline?
- What are some ways that you see love displayed through discipline?
- Can you identify times in your past where the Father has loved you through discipline?
- How did this discipline reveal God’s love for you?
