Good Times, Sunshine, and Hardship

“Endure it as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline?” (Hebrews 12:7 CSB)

Everybody loves good times and sunshine, and for the most part, most of us have a good bit of both in our lives. We tend not to put the word “hardship” in the same sentence, though. Most of us don’t care much for those. But maybe we should consider viewing them in a somewhat more positive light, though.

“IT” in the verse above is hardship, struggle, difficulty, and problems. “Endure hardship as discipline,” is what the writer is saying. He also says, “The Lord disciplines those He loves,” and that this discipline, though painful at the time, will later on “yield the fruit of peace and righteousness by those who have been trained by it.”

We are sometimes perplexed at some of the difficulties we go through in life. They do not often make sense to us, and yet, they still come. While God is not necessarily the source of our hardships, He does allow them to come, and he has a purpose in doing so. His purpose is to use them for our discipline.

Discipline simply means training or learning, and its purpose is to strengthen us so that we are prepared to deal with life and to deal with greater and greater difficulties. Problems are almost like stepping stones. Discipline helps us manage life from a position of strength, and it enables us to then become a trainer of others. While we might prefer comfort, in our hearts we know that training and discipline are going to produce greater fruit in and through us, so that we, in turn, may become a blessing to others.

As you consider the difficulties of your life, a good question to ask is: What is God trying to teach me in this? What does He want me to learn? What does He want me to be able to do? The answers to these questions may not be immediately apparent, but ultimately they will come into focus.

Lord, Help us each day to learn from all of the experiences we go through, so that we may be strengthened and better able to serve others. Amen.