My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in. Proverbs 3:11 and 12What does God’s discipline look like to you?
To me, God's discipline often looks like coaching. A good coach can look at your form and tell you how to correct it. They know when to push you, when to hold you back. Most importantly, they know how to draw the best from you, and can somehow see your potential long before you know its there. While it might catch you by surprise, it's like they knew it was there all along.
They make you pay for it when you mess up, but in a way that makes you stronger for it (and hopefully in a way that helps you learn from your mistakes). They're not afraid to sit you on the bench if you're not ready (or if you need to be held accountable), and but they're also not afraid to give you your chance to shine.
A good coach will say the hard truth, but there's also nothing quite like a coach's pep talk either. How many great sports movies feature those locker-room or final-moment-of-the-game speeches that remind you of who you are and what you can do, making the hair on your arms stand up, and your inner conqueror rise to the challenge? And as someone who grew up playing both sports and music, I can testify that those speeches don't just happen in locker rooms either. They take place backstage too.
So yeah, maybe it's because I've been blessed to have wonderful coaches cross my path, but When I read "discipline", that's often the imagery that comes to mind.
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