Proverb 3:11

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord nor detest his correction,”

-training to act in accordance with rules
-activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill
-punishment inflicted by way of correction and training
-the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity

Above, you see various definitions from the New Oxford American Dictionary for the word“discipline”. By and large, the word doesn’t have a negative connotation, but for some reason, we have a tendency for leaning into the more negative associations with the word anyhow. If we were to have a better, or perhaps more accurate understanding of the word, I wonder if it would change our perception of setbacks, failures and defeats. I wonder if somehow, we would gain confidence in our struggles and be more comfortable in our skin when we make mistakes. If only we understood what it means to be truly disciplined. How much better off we are for being corrected and trained to act in accordance with rules.

We are instructed here not to despise the Lords discipline. Like children, we dip our sticky fingers into cookie jars of sin and beg for answers as to why we can’t enjoy dessert before dinner. And though, at such a young age, we don’t understand spiritual nutrients, calories and digestion, a loving father wipes tears of grief from our cheeks with sovereign fingertips and explains in layman’s terms, “it’s not good for you child”.

We may not know why it’s not good to eat dessert before dinner, but we do know that our father is right because he loves us and wants the best for us, even when we don’t fight for it ourselves. Even when we know that it’s not good for us, we will binge on cookies and forego dinner to satisfy a craving.

And what about when you were with a friend and their father let them have a cookie before dinner. Yet yours wouldn’t relent. “How unfair!” you exclaimed. But still he had his best at heart for you.