[11] For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11 ESV)

When I find myself becoming angry or sad, I ask myself the question “Why?” Why is it that I am emoting in this way. It’s important for me as I have labelled myself an “introverted-extrovert.” As pastor, I have to be “on” when I am in public however at home and in my office, I am pretty quiet and spend a lot of time thinking, dreaming, and reading. Outside of that, I spend the next major block of time with my family and then counseling. I have to notice my emotions as most notice a thermometer. Understanding my emotions helps me get a gauge on where I am at that moment. Can me crazy…others do! lol -

What does this have to do with discipline? Well, when I find myself becoming angry or hurt at something that is on the outside good, I have to examine those places in my life. Many times, these are the places that the Lord is refining in my life through discipline. The pain or anger that I have is often times a result of hurt, pride or fear. That pain is God’s discipline which allows me to see the deep ugly stuff that I need to release to the Lord. That act too is painful.

Discipline makes us aware, its gets our attention. But that is only part of it. We have to then deal with it and learn from it. The only way that God’s discipline will lead to righteousness is if we persevere through it. The act of learning is an act, an act which takes time. It takes a short time period to learn some things and a lifetime to learn others. To truly learn, I (we/you) cannot be distracted by the temporal. What do I mean? In the midst of discipline which is causing us to learn, we cannot be focussed on the end, when this lesson is going to be over. The length of the lesson is the Lord’s and we must trust in Him and Him alone.

I have been learning a lesson for many weeks now. This morning my thermometer was anger and hurt which caused me to recognize discipline. I reached out, I prayed, I yielded to God and I am now o.k. with the fact that the lesson continues.

Why?

Because I know who the teacher is….and if He is teaching me, He isn’t finished with me….

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