What To Do When God Corrects You
When God Disciplines You: How to Respond with Faith Instead of Fear
When life gets difficult and God's discipline feels heavy, our natural response is often to withdraw, sulk, or make excuses. But Scripture calls us to a radically different response - one that demonstrates faith rather than fear, and trust rather than rebellion.
What Does It Mean When God Disciplines You?
The Bible is clear: "whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth" (Hebrews 12:6). If you've never experienced God's discipline in your life, that should be cause for concern, not relief. God disciplines His children because He loves them and wants them to grow in righteousness.
Just like earthly fathers discipline their children to help them become better people, our heavenly Father disciplines us to conform us to the image of Christ. The discipline isn't pleasant in the moment, but it produces "the peaceable fruit of righteousness" in those who are trained by it.
How Should You Respond to God's Discipline?
Lift Up Your Hands in Praise
The first response to God's chastening should be to "lift up the hands which hang down" (Hebrews 12:12). This means praising God even when you don't feel like it - especially when you don't feel like it.
The best time to praise God is when you don't want to. When you're in the valley, when life is difficult, when you've just been disciplined - that's when your praise means the most. It changes your disposition regardless of your position.
Get Off Your Knees and Walk in Forgiveness
This doesn't mean stop praying, but it does mean stop wallowing in condemnation. Stop asking for forgiveness that's already been granted and start walking in it.
We often want to stay in that place of condemnation because we like our sin and we know that walking with God means we'll have to give it up. But God calls us to walk in the liberty and forgiveness that Christ has already provided.
Make Straight Paths for Your Feet
Get rid of whatever sin brought the chastening in the first place. "Lay aside every weight and sin which does so easily beset us." Make no provision for the flesh. Walk by faith, not by sight or feelings.
Why Does Your Response Matter?
Your life is not about you. When you respond to God's discipline with faith and obedience, others who are "lame and broken" can see the healing power of God's forgiveness in your life. Your faithful response becomes a testimony to God's grace.
When you lift up your hands, walk in forgiveness, and make your paths straight, you're showing the world who Jesus is - regardless of your circumstances, regardless of how you feel, regardless of what others have done to you.
The Danger of Bitterness
Learning from Esau's Mistake
Esau provides a powerful example of what happens when we respond to difficulty with fear instead of faith. When he was hungry after an unsuccessful hunt, he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew - trading lifelong benefits for immediate gratification.
Esau's decision was driven by fear rather than faith. He was afraid he would die of hunger, so he made an impulsive decision that cost him everything. That decision planted a seed of bitterness that eventually destroyed every relationship in his life.
How Bitterness Grows
Bitterness starts small - maybe just a hurt feeling or an offense that we rehearse in our hearts. But as we continue to nurture that hurt, it takes root and begins to grow. Eventually, it produces fruit that defiles everyone who comes into contact with it.
When we bite into bitter fruit, it leaves a terrible taste that's hard to get rid of. That's what happens when bitterness springs up in our lives - it poisons our relationships and hurts everyone around us.
Fear vs. Faith: Two Different Responses
How Fear Operates
Fear requires immediate responses. It says, "I have to do something right now." Fear assumes control to remedy what is seen or felt. It may provide temporary relief and even make us feel proud of our quick action, but it ultimately leads to destruction.
How Faith Operates
Faith requires patience. It relinquishes control in obedience, trusting God completely. Faith reminds us that control is an illusion and that God's timing is perfect, even when we don't understand it.
The Bible tells us that "perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18) and that "the just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4).
Practical Steps for Living by Faith
Get in God's Word
If you're saying "I just don't know what God wants me to do" or "I can't hear from God," that tells me one thing: you're not reading your Bible. God speaks through His Word, and the more you read it, the clearer His voice becomes.
Write Down What God Shows You
Journal your devotions. Write down the verses God gives you and what He's saying to your heart. Make it plain so that when problems come, you can run to what God has already shown you.
Wait for God's Timing
Don't make decisions based on fear or pressure. If God hasn't clearly shown you what to do, then wait. His timing is perfect, and He will make His will known when the time is right.
Life Application
This week, examine how you respond to difficulty and discipline in your life. Instead of withdrawing from God when things get tough, choose to lift up your hands in praise, walk in the forgiveness He's already provided, and trust His timing rather than acting out of fear.
Ask yourself these questions:
Remember, your response to God's discipline isn't just about you - it's a testimony to others of God's grace and love. Choose faith over fear, and watch how God uses your faithful response to bring glory to Himself and healing to those around you.
When life gets difficult and God's discipline feels heavy, our natural response is often to withdraw, sulk, or make excuses. But Scripture calls us to a radically different response - one that demonstrates faith rather than fear, and trust rather than rebellion.
What Does It Mean When God Disciplines You?
The Bible is clear: "whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth" (Hebrews 12:6). If you've never experienced God's discipline in your life, that should be cause for concern, not relief. God disciplines His children because He loves them and wants them to grow in righteousness.
Just like earthly fathers discipline their children to help them become better people, our heavenly Father disciplines us to conform us to the image of Christ. The discipline isn't pleasant in the moment, but it produces "the peaceable fruit of righteousness" in those who are trained by it.
How Should You Respond to God's Discipline?
Lift Up Your Hands in Praise
The first response to God's chastening should be to "lift up the hands which hang down" (Hebrews 12:12). This means praising God even when you don't feel like it - especially when you don't feel like it.
The best time to praise God is when you don't want to. When you're in the valley, when life is difficult, when you've just been disciplined - that's when your praise means the most. It changes your disposition regardless of your position.
Get Off Your Knees and Walk in Forgiveness
This doesn't mean stop praying, but it does mean stop wallowing in condemnation. Stop asking for forgiveness that's already been granted and start walking in it.
We often want to stay in that place of condemnation because we like our sin and we know that walking with God means we'll have to give it up. But God calls us to walk in the liberty and forgiveness that Christ has already provided.
Make Straight Paths for Your Feet
Get rid of whatever sin brought the chastening in the first place. "Lay aside every weight and sin which does so easily beset us." Make no provision for the flesh. Walk by faith, not by sight or feelings.
Why Does Your Response Matter?
Your life is not about you. When you respond to God's discipline with faith and obedience, others who are "lame and broken" can see the healing power of God's forgiveness in your life. Your faithful response becomes a testimony to God's grace.
When you lift up your hands, walk in forgiveness, and make your paths straight, you're showing the world who Jesus is - regardless of your circumstances, regardless of how you feel, regardless of what others have done to you.
The Danger of Bitterness
Learning from Esau's Mistake
Esau provides a powerful example of what happens when we respond to difficulty with fear instead of faith. When he was hungry after an unsuccessful hunt, he sold his birthright for a bowl of stew - trading lifelong benefits for immediate gratification.
Esau's decision was driven by fear rather than faith. He was afraid he would die of hunger, so he made an impulsive decision that cost him everything. That decision planted a seed of bitterness that eventually destroyed every relationship in his life.
How Bitterness Grows
Bitterness starts small - maybe just a hurt feeling or an offense that we rehearse in our hearts. But as we continue to nurture that hurt, it takes root and begins to grow. Eventually, it produces fruit that defiles everyone who comes into contact with it.
When we bite into bitter fruit, it leaves a terrible taste that's hard to get rid of. That's what happens when bitterness springs up in our lives - it poisons our relationships and hurts everyone around us.
Fear vs. Faith: Two Different Responses
How Fear Operates
Fear requires immediate responses. It says, "I have to do something right now." Fear assumes control to remedy what is seen or felt. It may provide temporary relief and even make us feel proud of our quick action, but it ultimately leads to destruction.
How Faith Operates
Faith requires patience. It relinquishes control in obedience, trusting God completely. Faith reminds us that control is an illusion and that God's timing is perfect, even when we don't understand it.
The Bible tells us that "perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18) and that "the just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4).
Practical Steps for Living by Faith
Get in God's Word
If you're saying "I just don't know what God wants me to do" or "I can't hear from God," that tells me one thing: you're not reading your Bible. God speaks through His Word, and the more you read it, the clearer His voice becomes.
Write Down What God Shows You
Journal your devotions. Write down the verses God gives you and what He's saying to your heart. Make it plain so that when problems come, you can run to what God has already shown you.
Wait for God's Timing
Don't make decisions based on fear or pressure. If God hasn't clearly shown you what to do, then wait. His timing is perfect, and He will make His will known when the time is right.
Life Application
This week, examine how you respond to difficulty and discipline in your life. Instead of withdrawing from God when things get tough, choose to lift up your hands in praise, walk in the forgiveness He's already provided, and trust His timing rather than acting out of fear.
Ask yourself these questions:
- When I face difficulties, do I respond with praise or complaints?
- Am I holding onto any bitterness that needs to be released?
- Do I make decisions based on fear or faith?
- Am I regularly reading God's Word so I can hear His voice clearly?
Remember, your response to God's discipline isn't just about you - it's a testimony to others of God's grace and love. Choose faith over fear, and watch how God uses your faithful response to bring glory to Himself and healing to those around you.
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