Wasted Correction

By Paul Chappell

"And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

Hebrews 12:5-7

We know that God corrects every one of His children, but it is also true that not every believer benefits from that correction. Andrew Murray said it this way: “A believer may pass through much affliction, and yet secure very little blessing from it all. Abiding in Christ is the secret of securing all that the Father meant the chastisement to bring us.”

God never chastens us arbitrarily. There is always a purpose behind His correction, but the author of Hebrews warns us that there are two reactions that will cause us to miss the benefit of that correction.

First we can despise it—holding God’s rebuke in contempt and refusing to agree with Him that we need to change our ways. This attitude of rebellion makes it impossible for us to receive the blessing of a restored relationship with the Father.

The second wrong response is to faint—to give up because of the severity of the correction. The important thing to remember during chastening is that it is meant to help us. We can fall into the trap of thinking that God is judging us to “get even” or “settle the score.” But the price for our sin has already been paid in full by Jesus. We are not punished for our sins; we are chastened as a means of bringing us back to right and godly living. If you have done something for which you are being chastened, quickly repent. You will find that God awaits you with open arms.

Today's Rooted Principle:

If God chastens you, quickly learn the lesson rather than despising or fainting because of His correction.