Fear No Fear

“Now no discipline seems to be joyful at the time, but grievous. Yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness in those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11, MEV). God is our Father (Psalm 68:5; Malachi 2:10; James 1:17; Proverbs 30:4). As such, He looks out for us. He provides for us. He equips us. And He corrects us. None of us like the correction part. The burning behind the face, the desire to cringe and hide. When it is pointed out to us that we are in the wrong, we feel guilt. We can also choose to feel shame. All those feelings are coming on our flesh. That isn’t the part that’s from God. God points to what we could be and shows us that we are not walking where He asked us to, equipped us to, and guided us to. God is pointing out our place in Jesus and where we were created to stand. God isn’t leaving us in the dark. When we step out of the light, He corrects us in order to inspire us to choose to step back into the Light. It is done in love and from love. It is ALWAYS meant to better our lives and our relationships. It is concrete PROOF that we are beloved children of the Most High God. Instead of focusing on the FEELINGS coming at us, we should be focusing on the place God is trying to get us to inhabit. That is the victory. That is the place of fellowship. That is where LIFE is. “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be weary of His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12, MEV).