Hebrews 12 part 2

By faith Jennifer... will submit to my God's discipline and run on the path He has given me because I trust His love for me. Do you KNOW He loves you?
Check out this portion of Hebrews 12
^4-11In this all-out match against sin, others have suffered far worse than you, to say nothing of what Jesus went through—all that bloodshed! So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children?

   My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline,
      but don't be crushed by it either.
   It's the child he loves that he disciplines;
      the child he embraces, he also corrects.
God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.
 ^12-13So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! 

What parts of that or all of that grasps your attention? There are a couple of points I want to address in here:


God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out. He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children.

I like this portion because it is something I am trying to teach my own children. Because I love you, I must correct you, I know you don't like it, but it is SO important. But do I receive correction the same way they do? Or is there some shred of maturity within me that allows me to embrace the correction He is working in me? The challenges I face on a daily basis are about training. How will I respond? React? Will I feel like a victim of circumstance or believe in His victory within me and walk through the challenge receiving all He has for me in the learning process?

At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.

Oh my do I want that to be me! And now, 

^12-13So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! 

Friends, we are in a marathon. We are either sitting on the cold hard curb pretending to be comfortable, sauntering along as if every step is barely relevant, or are we consistently moving forward, every step with purpose, bringing others along with us to embrace this marathon God designed for our growth and blessing and most certainly always for His glory alone. Take my hand, together, let's run for it!