“Endure hardship as discipline.”
- Hebrews 12:7
As a young boy, I loved sports, especially basketball. I loved practicing by myself, playing pick-up games with friends, and getting to compete on Friday nights. I loved it so much that I was determined to do it for as long as possible, hoping to make a career out of it as an adult.
I quickly realized at a young age, that if I were going to play professional basketball, I would have to grow rapidly, extending my height far beyond anyone in my family. In my mind, my destiny largely depended on how tall I could get.
I had growing pains during these years that caused sharp and deep pain in my calves. At night, I would run to my parent's bedroom crying, lie next to my father, and have him rub my calves till I fell asleep. I hated it, as this nightly occurrence produced a fear in me before I went to bed, wondering if it would happen again.
Something really strange happened, however, when I discovered the need to grow in height to live out my “dream.” I realized that the growing pains I detested were the means necessary to reach my desired destination. Suddenly, not only did I not want the pain to cease, but I endured the pain with joy. Rather than being fearful before going to bed, I was expectant. I no longer ran to my dad for comfort. Instead, I woke up, enduring the pain with the perspective that it was for my good, not calamity.
The pain didn’t stop; my perspective did. In fact, as I continued to get older and the growing pains began to lessen, I was disappointed! It is strange, as the thing I hated became what I desired. Though this is a small earthly example, personally, it perfectly depicts a heavenly reality.
If we are going to endure hardship as a gift from God, embracing it with joy, we will have to have a proper perspective. One that sees it as a gym for growth rather than a prison cell of suffering.
We must start recognizing God disciplines us for the sake of our destiny. We are not meant to be children who endure discipline our whole lives so that we stop being rebellious and start living in obedience. We are meant to reap the fruit of discipline because of our obedience, not our rebellion.
You may think, “That sounds like a horrible life!” On the surface, it looks painful, but if perceived deeper, we all can agree that nothing extraordinary occurs in a person’s life without a great cost. God wants us to endure the cost of his discipline so that we can enjoy the benefit of living out our God-ordained destiny!
Many never reach their full potential because they covet comfort and despise discipline. If that is you, you have two options. First, you can compromise your call and coddle yourself in a room of self-indulgent safety. Or, you can embrace the journey God has for you. Enduring trial and tribulation with a perspective that it has a purpose. Rejoicing when you usually would be mourning and being thankful when you normally would be complaining.
God isn’t in the business of wanting to punish his children; he is in the business of wanting to train them. Just as he wants to train me, He wants to train you. My guess is, he already is. The question isn’t, “Is he disciplining you?” The question is, “How is he disciplining you?” Are you praying for that which he is providing to be removed from your life? Are you complaining rather than giving thanks? Are you mourning rather than rejoicing? Are you running away from that which God is giving you as a gift to embrace?
Today is the day to embrace rather than escape. To give thanks. To rejoice. Today is the day to start embracing the process of living out your destiny!
