For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father?
NLTWe have spoken about the study conducted on 800 men concerning the emotions one can experience as a human being. The scientists at work found twenty-seven emotions which man experiences, and they inform how he engages with others, makes decisions and behaves in society. Having also expounded on the act of weighing emotions by the worldly standards and the Holy Spirit, we now know the difference and vices of each standard of measurement. Consequently, we learn that for God to be just, He cannot be emotional but remains revelational, truthful and most importantly, principled.
In our theme scripture, we learn that God’s correction stems from His love (agape- sacrificial and unconditional love of God) and because His love is perfect and is Him, it endears every one that is yielded and corrigible to be called a son. This is the error of individuals who then persist to relate with God from a place of emotions or feelings. As much as they might genuinely believe they love Him and are yielded to Him, their understanding of God’s love implies that He must coddle them, cannot say no, cannot hurt them or inflict any kind of pain.
While God’s intention is not to inflict pain or hurt, the scriptures do tell us that there is a kind of sorrow that is godly
and this sorrow has purpose in it and that is to lead one to repentance. The world too has its kind of sorrow, which leads to death. Therefore, when you perceive that for God to prove He loves you, He must coddle you, never disagree, always speak nice words, you get the lines blurred between God’s sovereignty, righteousness and His principles and patterns which cannot contradict one another.Failure to understand and discern these truths has led many believers astray, into marriages that completely amputate their destinies because they truly believe God spoke because it felt right. Others end up in the wrong careers or pursuing the wrong degrees because it seemed like the right thing to do, they grow impenitent and indifferent to the guidance of the Holy Spirit because deep down they are led by feelings and despise God’s correction for no correction is enjoyable while it lasts (
).Child of God, what God asks of us is plain and clear and that is to abandon any self-pleasing ways and train our bodies, minds and souls to find all our pleasure in Him as He takes care of satisfying every other aspect we look to fill with the things of this world. Alas, this becomes a burden to the soul that is deeply endeared to the instant gratifications, and temporary pleasures of this world.
I will leave you with the words of the father of the great awakenings recorded in the 19th century, Charles G. Finney:
‘God calls man to abandon his present course, which he himself knows to be unreasonable, is what God requires him to do; and is the first thing implied in this command— consecration to God, the abandonment of the spirit of self- pleasing, yielding the mind up to God, and devotion to pleasing and obeying him. It implies also going over to God’s side, taking part with him against our own and everybody’s sin, renouncing all excuses for not doing just as God requires us to do, renouncing the spirit of procrastination and all dishonesty of mind towards God, coming into a spirit of justice, being willing to do what is just to our neighbors and to consider his good as well as our own.’
As you can observe brethren, emotions fall under the category of things that partake to the flesh.. And because it is so, always remember the words of Paul to the body of Christ:
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
KJVEverytime you feed your emotions and magnify them as truth, you die in your spirit. You refuse any form of correction God gives, you harden your heart slowly by slowly until your eyes are blinded to the truth that saves. The brokenhearted Jesus came for, are in fact strong in spirit but as broken and light as clay, malleable in the hand of The Potter and made strong when He is finished dealing with them. Such will always be made perfect and presented blameless, without spot or wrinkle, to their Father.
If you have never given your life to Jesus Christ, and you feel that this is the perfect time, pray this prayer:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you because you died for my sins and you were raised for my glory. Today, I receive you as my Lord and Savior. I am born again. Amen.”