THE WILL TO LOVE - Vital Christianity

38“Moreover, we have all have human fathers who disciplined us and we respectedThem for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits andlive! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but Goddisciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness (Heb 12:9-10).EARTHLY DISCIPLINEThe writer points out that we have come to respect our earthly fathers for the fact thatthey thought enough of us to discipline us. Though earthly discipline was based upon what ourfathers thought best, and though it lasted only for a short time until we were grown, yet werealized the value of that discipline, though imperfect as it was. If this is so, how much moreappreciative should we be of our heavenly Father who disciplines us according to his perfectlove and wisdom. Earthly discipline is sometimes mistaken in the method and dosage to bemeted out, but not so with heavenly discipline. There is no unnecessary discipline that comesfrom God who knows us thoroughly. Because of God’s infinite love and wisdom we can relyupon Him never to impose any discipline on us that is not ultimately for our own good. This isthe point that Paul makes when he states,No temptation (and we could add here: ‘testing, trial, hardship, suffering) has seizedyou except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyondwhat you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you canstand up under it (1 Co 10:13).Any temptation, any testing, any trial, any hardship, any suffering is not unique. Othershave endured it and others have come through it.William Barclay shares an illustration about a friend who was driving the biblical scholarLightfoot, the great Bishop of Durham, in a horse carriage along a very narrow mountain road inNorway. It got so narrow that there were only inches between the wheels of the carriage and thecliffs on one side and the precipice on the other. He suggested in the end that Light foot would besafer to get out and walk. Lightfoot surveyed the situation and then he said, ‘Other carriagesmust have taken this road. Drive on!THE PURPOSEWith any temptation there is always a way of escape. And the way of escape is not theway of surrender or retreat, but the way of conquest by the grace and power of God. While Godwill not always allow us to escape (in the sense of withdrawal from) hardships and persecutions,He will enable us to conquer each situation by making these difficulties stepping-stones tospiritual maturity. And spiritual maturity is the supreme good that God has in view for Hischildren: “. . . that we may share in His holiness” (Heb 12:10).