Chastening

We humans are partial to habits. As we go through life, we tend to accumulate and collect a number of habits the way a miser collects money. Our habits range from fixed habits like brushing our teeth twice a day to bad habits like taking advantage of others.

We also have a habit of trying to solve our problems by using our own will and strength, or succumbing to depression because our problems seem never ending. I for one, throughout the years, have the habit of intolerance and impatience. My own will was very strong, and I was proud that I depended on no one. I was punctual to the dot, to the extent of being inflexible, and I had a habit of bottling up all my emotions. I presented a facade of strength and independence to the world, while losing sleep due to the bottled up turmoil within me, which also had its own habit of rearing its ugly head deep into the night.

Hence, when we come to God, we all needed to undergo sanctification. Without sanctification, we would not be able to let go of our habits. In the process of sanctification, we will have to go through godly training and chastisement. God trains us and chastises us out of love, because we are His children. When our birth parents chastise us, although most of the times its for our own good, there are times as well when they chastise us with their own motives in mind. But when God chastises us, it is solely for our own good.

Though we might feel at times, that our trials and tribulations are too much for us to bear, always know that we are undergoing godly training within God, and God will never train us beyond what we are able bear. God is with us, and has never left us. Whatever hardship and sorrow we undergo are all within His will. And from it, we gain godly righteousness and peace. We gain strength and wisdom from Him, and while His perfect will increases, our own will decreases. Only through Him, our bad habits which bind us most of our lives will diminish. We will have the peace of the Holy Spirit in whatever we do, whatever we face, wherever we are. We will have peace and joy as we go through even the most rigorous trials and tribulations in life. Our spirit will remain joyful and will not be affected by our external sufferings.

Do not fight against the training God provides for us. If we do, we will enter into a never ending cycle, which will repeat and repeat, each time worse than the previous, till we are chastened and humbled. Obey Him, accept the training, and move on to the next stage. For our spiritual state does indeed become stronger with each training we go through.

And if we are able to see God's hand in our sanctification process, we will not become discouraged. We will welcome His godly training and chastenings, for we know we are His children, and He cares for us.

If you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. ( Hebrews 12:8 )