“Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 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. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. ( Hebrews 12:10-13 )

Christ’s goal is to present His glorious Church to God, pure, holy and blameless. In every sense of the word this was accomplished on the cross. However humanity, being made up of a spirit, a soul and a body ( I Thessalonians 5:23 ), and still being one-third flesh in our soulish realm, will struggle in life and need correction. Just as a father disciplines his children, God will discipline us so that we will share in His holiness.

A few verses before, the writer said to endure hardship as discipline ( Hebrews 12:7 ). Although painful, the results of correction far outweigh the process of discipline. On the other side we come through refined, purified, tried and tested. The goal is to train us in righteousness, peace and holiness.

Since this process is expected and proves our sonship, it is important to understand how God will discipline. Paul told Timothy that the Word is useful for correcting and training, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” ( II Timothy 3:16-17 ). God speaks and trains us through His word. Everything needed for life and godliness comes through the knowledge of Him ( II Peter 1:3-4 ), so it only makes sense that this knowledge, through the Word, will train and correct us in the way we should go.

Paul confirmed this to the church at Ephesus, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” ( Ephesians 5:25-27 ).

Keeping this perspective in mind should allow us to be sensitive to the Lord’s leading in all things. Our responsibility is to heed His word and repent, which just means turning and going the other way. When this happens we allow righteousness, peace and holiness to dictate our lives which is the desired outcome of discipline. Just as He told the church of Laodicea, “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ( Revelation 3:19-22 ).

‘In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! ” ( Hebrews 12:4-9 )

At one point in my life I was struggling with a situation at work. I felt that I had been treated unfairly. Everything I had worked for was taken away, renamed and given to another who had joined our team under interesting circumstances. To make matters worse, I felt that no one understood my position or validated the feelings of betrayal I had toward the company, toward this individual and toward my boss. It was a tumultuous time in my life both personally and professionally. I greatly struggled over the whole ordeal and after months, things did not get better, only worse.

One day, I went for a walk. While I walked I listened to scripture, it was Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The words spoken were as relevant that day as they day He gave them. As I walked, His words burned holes in my chest. Each sentence spoken seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. At the end I was crying and I knew what I had to do. The Lord spoke into my heart that I needed to seek forgiveness from my boss, even though to me, I was the one who had been wronged. The Lord dealt very sternly with me, but as I responded in obedience He gave me the grace to go to my boss, ask forgiveness and then healing began.

After humbling myself, both my professional and personal life got better and I learned an important lesson. The Lord desires the finished product to be pure and refined. Although trials and the circumstances of life do not mean that the Lord causes them, He can and does use them to perfect us. Just as the writer notes in this passage in Hebrews, we should view hardship as discipline which validates our status as God’s sons and daughters.

God will speak truth to us in the midst of all circumstances in life. Sometimes, it is painful to hear but the outcome far outweighs the stretching and pain we experience in the midst. As in my example the primary way God corrects us is through His word. Paul said, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). David observed something similar in Psalm 94, “Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law” ( Psalm 94:12 ).

The word is the tool He uses to break the power of sin, pull down strongholds, correct us and train us in the way we should go. Just as our earthly fathers disciplined us in our youth so that we would turn out as good responsible adults, God also disciplines and refines us so that we are fully equipped and trained in righteousness. This is the perspective we need in the midst of all of life's circumstances.