Discipling Or Discipline

I was writing something the other day and a strange thing happened...I spelled a word wrong! Or at least, the little red squiggly line that the spell-checker places under misspelled words was indicating that I had. But, when I looked closer I realized that spell-check had screwed up. It was telling me that discipling was not a word. The ironic thing was its best suggestion for what it thought I meant was discipline.

Now, normally when I discover that spell-check is actually wrong and I have (for once) out maneuvered the Deep Blue of spelling, I celebrate. This time, however, I stopped and marveled at spell-check’s mistake; it was actually very profound! After all, what is discipleship without discipline?

In Hebrews 12:11 we see the full story. All of us have experienced a very difficult time in our lives that we could look back on later and recognize as a very positive, life shaping experience. Sometimes you can even see how that experience was pivotal in making you into who you are today, right? How much more profound is that statement when it is God Himself that disciplines us. He knows the whole story. He is the only one who can redirect us when we stray from His will. His discipline has no chance of leading us down the wrong path. Embrace it!

No discipline is pleasant at the time, but it WILL produce the right results for the people that embrace it! Become a disciple. Accept your correction. The benefits are not too far down the road.