“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline” (Hebrews 12:4-7).

Don’t confuse feeling good with being good for you. That which is good for you does not have to feel good to you.

What cracks me up about this passage is that the writer of Hebrews sees this as a word of encouragement!

• In your struggle against sin
• Resisting to the point of shedding your blood
• Rebuke
• Discipline
• Chastening
• Hardship

Yup. Encouragement. That’s what the writer of Hebrews said.

If we have issues with this it’s because we have come to accept the lie that if it’s good for me, it must feel good to me.

What a bunch of crock! We know this isn’t true. It’s not true when it comes to eating healthy. It’s not true when it comes to physical exercise. It’s not true when it comes to studying and reading. It’s not true in pretty much everything that is good.

God’s will for you is good. And there is absolutely nothing that says it must feel good to you in order to be good for you. So receive these words of encouragement. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Therefore, endure hardship as discipline.”

A lady went to her pastor and said, “I won’t be attending church anymore.” “May I ask why?” the pastor inquired. She said, “I see people on their cell phones during the service, some are gossiping, some just ain’t living right, they are all just hypocrites.”

The pastor got silent and said, “Ok. But can I ask you to do something for me before you make your final decision?” She said, “What’s that?” He said, “Take a glass of water and walk around the church two times and don’t let any water fall out of the glass.”

She said, “Yes, I can do that.”

She came back and said, “It’s done.”

He asked her three questions:

1. Did you see anyone on their phone?
2. Did you see anyone gossiping?
3. Was anyone living wrong?

She said, “I didn’t see anything because I was so focused on this glass so the water wouldn’t fall.”

He told her, “When you come to church, you should be just that focused on God so that you don’t fall. That’s why Jesus said, “Follow me.” He did not say follow Christians. Don’t let your relationship with God be determined by how others relate with God. Let it be determined by how focused you are on God.”

Author Unknown

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.