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Author: Nico Angleys, from the Servants of the Word, an international, ecumenical brotherhood of men living single for the Lord.

Discipline that produces belonging

The author of Hebrews writes, “[Our earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he [the Father of Spirits] disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.” (Hebrews 12:10)

We learn to be a part of something that is greater than ourselves through discipline. In human life, the author of Hebrews tells us that our earthly parents taught us through discipline to belong to our family. This process didn’t last a long time and its success was based on the best efforts of our parents. In considering our eternal life and family, we hear that God will discipline us for as long as it takes (in other words, our whole earthly life) in order that we might share in his holiness. The purpose of God’s discipline is noteworthy here: it is for our good, that we may share his holiness. The contrast with our earthly parents highlights that the eternal and good God is much more likely to succeed in producing the change necessary for us to belong to his family than our parents succeeded in making us members of our earthly family. If we grew up in a great family, this heightens our expectation for eternal life. If our family experience growing up was difficult, we have hope for a better one to come.

How is the Father of Spirits disciplining me these days?

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.