Discipline by Endurance

How does discipline fit into our lives?

Recently I have had difficulty keeping my eyes focused on Jesus, I am worrying too much about what is going on around me. I am worrying what people think of me when they see my short comings, and how I am supposed to be set apart from those that don't have the faith in Christ. I find myself in sins that I had conquered, but I let those things come back in, but by the Grace of God He forgave me and now I can once again have victory over it. Today, I was thinking about my current situation spiritually and God showed me to read Hebrews 12, I could not get through the whole chapter God spoke to me through those words.

vs. 1-2 "...let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne."

I have a hard time running that race because I am constantly doubting that since I am a sinful man that I can't run a race after Jesus and keeping my eyes on Him if I cant get rid of those things that hold me down. He is the source of my faith and perfects so why not focus my eyes on Him?

It takes discipline, discipline that only comes from the Father above. In verse 5 the bible tells us not to take the Lord's discipline lightly because He disciplines the one He loves and punishes everyone whom He receives.

It is hard to think about what my punishment is for my sin, because I know it keeps me farther and farther away from God. God wants us to endure through those tough times where we can't seem to do anything right whatsoever, we look to ourselves to try and solve the problem. He wants us to take His discipline so that we can change our lives, but when we don't recieve the discipline then we are illegitimate children. I don't know about you, I do not want to be one of those that does not receive discipline from God. (vs. 7-8)

"We had natural fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn't we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live?" (vs. 9)
We should respect our creator more for what He has done will do and is doing right now, because if not we are corrupting ourselves.

"...He does it for our benefit, so that we can share holiness." vs. 10

Wow! A God would want to share His holiness with me?? I would have to say you are crazy if you would try to tell me that, but He does truly want our hearts, He wants us to respond to His discipline.

"No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the fruit of peace and righteousness to those who have been trained by it." vs 11

This verse is so true to us as a human race, we face many of tragedies and rough times, but God brings the peace and righteousness we need so that we can be closer to Him.

The point of this blog is to state that we should not carry all the baggage this life brings, set it aside and begin a race after Jesus. Such a race where He will discipline you to be the man/woman of God, He longs for you to be. Since He is the one that perfects our faith because He is the source then we should just run right after Him. He endured a cross where He was despised, so why can't we endure? Keep running after Him, thats the only way to overcome the daily struggles and be holy as He is Holy.

Hope these words are an encouragement to you today.