“Go to your room.”
Maybe you heard that growing up. I know I did a few times.
I can remember walking into my room, closing the door, and being mad at my parents because they had the nerve to stop me from doing something I clearly should not have been doing. Funny thing is, I don’t really remember what I did wrong anymore.
What I do remember is my dad knocking on the door a little while later, coming in, sitting down, and talking to me. He would explain why I got in trouble, but he would also make sure I knew they still loved me.
I don’t remember the sin. I remember the love.
That has helped me think differently about correction from God. There are times when He puts His finger on something in my life that needs to change, and I don’t always enjoy it. Sometimes I resist it. Sometimes I wish He would leave that part alone.
But His correction is not proof that He is against me. It is proof that He loves me enough not to leave me where I am.
Hebrews 12:5-6 says, “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.”
My heart may need to change, but His heart is still for me.