We bristle at discipline when there is no love.
But
We do not operate at our maximum potential when there is no discipline.
Both are essential if we are to be all God desires and designed us to be (not to mention our bringing God greatest glory and experiencing our greatest joy).
But love must come first. We were created for love. Without it we do not function as we were designed to no more than a car without gas or a sailboat without a sail, wind or water.
Without love we do not trust...without trust we do not submit to the directions and discipline of the one who loves and seeks to direct us - mainly God but also special loved ones God has brought into our lives.
The more we realize how greatly God loves us, the easier it is to accept and embrace discipline - whether that comes in the form of obedience to a specific command from God, self denial, or enduring well any painful or hard circumstances we may encounter.
The more we realize how greatly God loves us, the easier it is to accept and embrace discipline - whether that comes in the form of obedience to a specific command from God, self denial, or enduring well any painful or hard circumstances we may encounter.
Love and discipline are two sides of the same coin of faithfully living for God's highest honor and our greatest joy.
A closer look at love.
How do we know God loves us? What proof do we have? Especially when we go though difficult times! Christ!
God revealed his love to and for us in and through Christ by him taking on our pain so we might eventually and permanently be freed from it.
If we have no other evidence of God's love, this alone is more than sufficient. We only need to accurately and fully grasp it to appreciate the vastness of His love poured out on us in and through Christ. If we do not see who Christ is and what He did as sufficient we must ask God to help us see more fully and clearly Christ and all that He did to restore us back to the Father.
If we have no other evidence of God's love, this alone is more than sufficient. We only need to accurately and fully grasp it to appreciate the vastness of His love poured out on us in and through Christ. If we do not see who Christ is and what He did as sufficient we must ask God to help us see more fully and clearly Christ and all that He did to restore us back to the Father.
For a closer look at Christ and what He did check the following:
For additional posts on discipline see the following...
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Grace to you
Jim Deal