Endure Hardship

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?" (Hebrews 12:7).

This verse always strikes me. The whole idea that God disciplines those He loves is not something we like to hear. We don't like to hear that we will go through hardships. We like to think that if we are following God that we will find the easy road. God is God, and if I'm His son, shouldn't I reap some pretty sweet benefits? Well, that's the thinking I get caught up in at times.

But, have you ever noticed how we tend to come out of hardships more focused and prepared for the remainder of our journeys? There are many lessons we are taught through hardships that we may never have learned without the time of hardship. Sure, we might get beat up and think there may not be a light at the end of the tunnel. But, in the end we see and learn things we never imagined while we were in the midst of our hardships.

So, thank God for His discipline. Thank God that He cares enough that He won't just let us float through life. His discipline is just another sign of how great His love for us truly is.