Preparation for life

TODAY'S READING: Proverbs 13:1
Instruction. Direction. Discipline. Boundaries. We may not always like these things, but the reality is that we need them. If we want to grow and mature we must learn to accept the discipline and instruction that comes our way. It prepares us for life.
As we talked about yesterday, parents are not perfect. However, for most parents their goal is to help you develop and grow to become a mature adult. Discipline and instruction are there to help in that process. And when we are wise we will listen to the advice parents and other adults provide. Foolishness is not listening. We show how foolish we are when we don't listen to discipline and instruction.
And once again, we see how our relationship with our earthly parents relates to our relationship with God. Consider what the Hebrew author writes...
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 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. (Hebrews 12:7-11)
Discipline is a type of weeding out process. It gets rid of the junk in our life. And that process is not always pleasant because we can get really attached to our junk. Separation from things we enjoy but that are bad for us can be uncomfortable. But in the end it makes us healthier physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.
If we can learn to listen to the discipline and instruction from our parents, we will be more prepared to hear God's discipline and instruction. And that will not only make us a better member of society, it will make us a stronger warrior in the Kingdom of God.

shine!
Jason