Discipline

I’ve read this verse before but never noticed something interesting: Those who disregard discipline despise themselves, but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.

If we cast off discipline (training that molds and perfects our character) then we are said to despise ourselves.  Wow! How many times have we had to walk a hard path and we wondered why life has to be so difficult at the moment.  “God must be mad at us,” we think. 

The opposite is quite true, according to this verse!  Despising ourselves when times get tough and thinking the worst of our relationship with God is disregarding the very discipline (training) that gains us understanding!

When we heed correction (allow the training to take place and perfect our character) we gain!  We experience success! We achieve! We become a better person!

Physical exercise is a pain, and I think about avoiding it every time I start to do it.  If I think too long about it, I miss the opportunity, and the physical results are missed for that day.  But when I press through, discipline my body to move (and hurt), I feel so exhilarated afterwards, physically and mentally, and I experience gain.

Lord, help me to regard discipline with joy (yikes, this is hard) knowing the end result is gain.