It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
Hebrews 12:7
Years ago, my cousin Gary and I did something incredibly foolish. One night, we vandalized our local junior high school and got caught. Gary didn’t have a father in his life, so he faced very few consequences. My dad, however, was a former police officer. He instructed the arresting officers to lock me in a holding cell and terrify me with every possible charge. I was bawling and blubbering like a baby when my dad came to pick me up.
My dad did not do that to Gary—he couldn't. He was my father, not Gary's. That miserable night taught me a powerful, unforgettable lesson about accountability that my cousin never had the chance to learn.
When God brings painful trials into our lives, it is easy to feel abandoned. But Scripture reveals that these difficulties are actually the ultimate proof of our sonship.
God disciplines us because He loves us too much to watch us destroy ourselves. As Proverbs 19:18 warns earthly parents “Discipline your son while there is hope.”
Conversely, a complete lack of discipline should actually distress us. Hebrews 12:8 states, “But if you are without discipline... then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” If you are cruising through life without any trials, tests, or faith-stretching moments, you must ask if you truly belong to the Father.
God's silence and indifference are the real signs of danger, not His correction. The hardships you face today are not evidence of His anger, but the protective mark of His ownership. Take comfort in the struggle; it proves you are His child.
Ethan Kallberg