No child enjoys being disciplined, but we correct our children to develop positive character qualities in them like kindness, patience, and responsibility. It’s easy to think discipline is just for children and that we outgrow the need for someone to correct us, but that’s not true.
In the same way that we discipline our children, our Heavenly Father chastens us to get us to turn from our sins so we can grow in our faith. What does the chastening of the Lord look like in our lives, and how should we respond?
What Is the Chastening of the Lord?
“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.” —Proverbs 3:11-12 (emphasis added)
Chastening means disciplining and correcting someone. The Holy Spirit's role is to chasten us when we sin by convicting us. That conviction is not to bring us shame, but is designed to turn our hearts toward Him in repentance. There are a few different ways we may experience the chastening of the Lord:
- Experiencing the natural consequences of sin
The chastening of the Lord can come through the natural consequences of our sins. We might do something to damage a relationship, and afterwards experience a tough process of rebuilding trust and taking responsibility for the hurt we caused. Or perhaps we make unwise financial decisions and go through a difficult time paying off debts.
- Being emptied of yourself
At other times, God might teach you to rely more on Him and less on yourself. That might mean you experience a period where everything in your life seems to be falling apart, and you have nowhere else to turn but to cry out to Him.
- Refocusing your priorities
There are other times in life when we might become so busy that we think we don’t have time to make God the top priority. In that case, He might begin stripping things out of your schedule so you can more easily see how to prioritize Him in your life.
The Purpose of God’s Chastening
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” —Hebrews 12:1-2
The chastening of the Lord is not to punish us but ultimately to promote our good. The Bible often describes faith as an endurance race we run throughout our lives (Hebrews 12:1). God wants to equip us with the strength to run that race well.
It is difficult to effectively run that race if we are carrying the weight of sin. He urges us to lay it down, but if we refuse to do so, He will chasten us until we do. Accepting His discipline is part of training to run the race He has set before us.
Examples of the Chastening of the Lord in the Bible
The Bible records various examples of the chastening of the Lord for us to learn from.
The Israelites
After God led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, He wanted to bring them into the land that would be their forever inheritance. But the people rebelled and turned their hearts to idols. As a result, God kept them in the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.
Jonah
When God called Jonah to preach repentance to the people of Ninevah, Jonah ran and boarded a ship going in the opposite direction. He feared those people and didn’t want them to experience God’s goodness if they did repent. In response, God caused a storm to come, and Jonah was thrown overboard and spent three days in the belly of a large fish. After that, Jonah repented and went to preach in Ninevah.
In both examples, God desired to use His people in amazing ways. God desires hearts yielded to Him, and He often works in the most unexpected of ways to get our attention and cause us to fix our eyes on Him.
Is All Suffering the Chastening of the Lord?
While some of the suffering we experience in life is the chastening of the Lord in response to our sin, not all our suffering results from sin.
We live in a broken, sinful world that abounds with suffering, and there is no escaping its effects. Suffering can come from various places…
- Betrayal of a friend or loved one
- Losing your job
- Health issues
These situations happen because of sins others committed against us, or simply because we live in a fallen world.
Jesus once encountered a man born blind, and His disciples asked Him if that man or his parents sinned to deserve such a disability. Jesus responded by saying that the man’s blindness was not the result of their sins, but so that God’s power might be displayed through him (John 9:1-12). God can use our suffering to bring Him glory and allow others to see His goodness.
How Should We Respond to the Chastening of the Lord?
Responding to God’s discipline is not always easy, but our obedience can draw us closer to Him.
The Bible explains that we are wise to listen to the chastening of the Lord. Proverbs 12:1 says quite plainly, “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” This same idea is echoed in Proverbs 15:32, which states, “He who distains instruction despises his own soul, but he who heeds rebuke gets understanding.”
Keep these 3 thoughts in mind when experiencing God’s discipline:
- We should respond to the chastening of the Lord knowing who we are in Christ.
“If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.” —Hebrews 12:7-8 (emphasis added)
We leave the discipline of children up to their parents because they are the ones God has entrusted with their care. Similarly, God disciplines those who have accepted Him by faith. Take comfort in knowing that receiving discipline from the Lord means you are His child, and He loves you enough to want the best for you. The chastening of the Lord comes out of God’s love and desire for us to deepen our relationship with Him.
2. We should respond to the chastening of the Lord with humility and submission.
“Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.” —Hebrews 12:9-10 (emphasis added)
God knows what He is doing when He disciplines us, and responding to His correction will always serve us best. He knows more than we do, and He has plans beyond what we currently understand.
3. We should respond to the chastening of the Lord by trusting in God’s love.
“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” —Hebrews 12:11
Popular culture promotes the idea that God wants to make us happy. While God certainly delights in our happiness, He cares more about our holiness than our temporary happiness. That means He may allow us to endure unpleasant things to produce in us a heart more submitted to Him. He knows what kind of discipline will work for us, and He’s willing to do what it takes to make sure He has our attention.
Takeaway
When we put our faith in Jesus, we will experience the chastening of the Lord. He corrects us out of His love so that we lay down our sins and turn our hearts to Him. God desires a close relationship with us. Responding to His discipline with acceptance, humility, and submission will deepen our relationship with Him as we run the race of faith He has set before us.
Do you want to do a deeper study of the Book of Hebrews? Get this FREE Hebrews Bible Study!