While reading in the book of Hebrews CEB, I noticed the title of this portion of scripture said, “Run The Race With Discipline” and continued with these verses 3-6: “Think about the one who endured such opposition from sinners so that you won’t be discouraged and you won’t give up. In your struggle against sin, you haven’t resisted yet to the point of shedding blood, and you have forgotten the encouragement that addresses you as sons and daughters: My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline or give up when you are corrected by him, because the Lord disciplines whomever he loves, and he punishes every son or daughter whom he accepts.”

Sometimes, when you’re going through an exceptionally hard trial, it’s good to remember what Jesus went through. The only ones who accepted him were those who needed what he provided. They were also the first to turn on him and yell ‘crucify’ when given money by the religious leaders. Fickle people. And such were some of us! When we don’t get what we want, we just give up, thinking that maybe God doesn’t love us as much as he does someone else. He calls us sons and daughters BECAUSE he loves us and as Paul said, he disciplines the ones he loves.

No one likes discipline. Sometimes I think that from a young age till my early teens, I had enough of all that in the form of a paddle on the hinder parts! I remember thinking, ‘When I have kids, I’m NEVER going to spank them!’ Yeah, that didn’t happen. Discipline is good for us, thats where we learn boundaries and self control, some of us just struggle to find the line. Hey, sometimes I would like to go back for the spanking than to have to endure the consequences of my wrong actions as an adult. Don’t think that God will make you do whats right, he won’t. We still are free to make our own choices, God won’t force us to obey. He wants a people who will love him as much as he loves us and to obey out of that intense love. 

So when things aren’t so perfect in your life, you need to yell out, “HE LOVES ME! I’M HIS OWN!” He’s only setting us on the right path so that we’ll be where he needs us when he returns to take us home. Home sweet home. Lets keep in mind that where we are today is not our home, we’re merely leasing for a period of time. Someday, He will call out to us, “Lease is up! Time to move on!” Don’t be so comfortable with your surroundings that you lose sight of who’s you are and where you’re going. Lots wife looked back with longing and it turned her into a salty statue. Lets keep our eyes longing for our prize; Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.