Running The Race Of Faith : Jesus Is Greater SeriesSample

A Root of Bitterness  

Thoughts on the Word

We learn a bit more about the purpose of God’s discipline. First, it strengthens us to deal with difficult things.  When we struggle with weak areas in our lives discipline helps us. We learn to deal with the issues, and this effort brings strength. Areas of weakness no longer disable us. Weak areas in our lives no longer cause us to stumble in our walk with God. Satan is not able to “take us out of action” as we struggle with our weaknesses and limitations. Instead, discipline enables us to get healing in these areas of our lives. It is something every one of us requires. Allow God’s discipline to release that in you..

Second, God’s discipline exposes attitudes of the heart. The purpose of discipline is to bring holiness into our lives. Often it exposes an unwilling heart—a stubbornness to change. This stubbornness can result in a deep-seated offense against God—a root of bitterness which defiles us on the inside. Being defiled is the things we do because of spiritual weakness. God is able to deal with this quite easily. However, a hurt that touches our hearts and makes our hearts unwilling to receive God’s discipline produces a lifestyle full of defilement. We become angry people—a people that seek strife rather than peace, a people that seek to be justified in our hurt rather than receiving a blessing from God. This kind of heart cannot receive God’s blessing. God will expose it not because He wants to embarrass us, but because He is that passionate we receive His blessing. He is willing to suffer rejection from us in order to allow us to deal with the hurt and receive His blessing. 

It is too easy to see a disciplining God as a punishing Father rather than a wonderful, loving Father.

Prayer

Father, there are times I struggle with Your discipline. It seems so tough sometimes. You do not let me get away with things. It is for my own good and blessing. Still, it is hard to receive. Above all, I do not want to get bitter over Your discipline. I want to be strengthened. I want to be healed. I want to be blessed. It requires this discipline in my life. It enables me to let the failures of my human life to be cleaned up. What a blessing that is. They no longer stay hidden in a place where Satan can continually attack me. They get dealt with and become a place of blessing. So strengthen my heart to love Your discipline. Strengthen my heart to desire Your correction. In Jesus' name, Amen.