The Hebrew writer continues on in chapter 12 verses 5-10 “You have forgotten the encouraging words that call you his children: ‘My child, don’t thing the Lord’s discipline is worth nothing and don’t stop trying when he corrects you.  The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as his child.’  So hold on through your sufferings, because they are like a father’s discipline.  God is treating you as children.  All children are disciplined by their        fathers.  If you are never disciplined (and every child must be disciplined), you are not true children.  We have all had fathers here on earth who disciplined us, and we respected them.  So it is even more important that we accept discipline from the Father of our spirits so we will have life.  Our fathers on earth disciplined us for a short time in the way they thought was best.  But God disciplines us to help us, so we can become holy as he is holy.”  Just as a child is corrected by his earthly father, so our heavenly Father does for us.  In verse 8 we are told that if we are never disciplined then we are not true children.  In verse 11 the writer sums in up by saying “We do not enjoy being disciplined.  It is painful at the time, but later, after we have learned from it, we have peace, because we start living in the right way.”

No one enjoys discipline but it is a must!  If you look at your lives right now do you see God’s discipline trying to teach you something?  When bad things happen, remember to count it as joy — James 1:2-4.