Hardship is the reward

Fast-forward a couple of weeks and I am back in the throes of parenting my young blessings. At this point my quiet time consists of searching an online concordance for every verse in the Bible containing the word discipline. I plan to use whatever verse I find as a weapon against one or all of my children because this feels a lot like a battle. Somehow, I remember that my children are a reward…what planet was that on, again? Well, the Lord has other plans for my quiet time, and He leads me to Hebrews 12. There is a lot about discipline here—this should be good. Hebrews 12:6 says, “the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Yes, I do love my children and must, therefore, discipline them.But verse 7 is where I realize that this passage is not as much about me disciplining my children as it is about the Lord training me: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” Later on in verses 10-11: “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.”

I begin to realize that child rearing is as much about training myself as it is about training my children. Whatever patience I have was developed while waiting for my children to learn immediate obedience. Whatever measure of self-control I display is a spiritual victory over my fleshly desire to yell at the top of my lungs, “Because I said so!”

Even my commitment to consistent, meaningful quiet time with God was made out of a desperate need for His guidance in the everyday battles of sibling rivalry and childish disobedience. Where would I be without the “hardship” of everyday life as a Mom?

The writer of Hebrews actually says that this passage about discipline should be encouraging to us (v.5). We should endure hardship as discipline, and we can be encouraged in the hardship because the Lord disciplines those He loves. He disciplines us so “that we may share in his holiness” and so that we may have a harvest of righteousness and peace. I could really use some holiness, righteousness and peace in my life. It almost makes me want to yell at the top of my lungs, “Bring it on!” Fortunately, in the last several years, I have developed a little self-control.