Training for war: Together

In the Letter to the Hebrews we are told,

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." (Heb 12.11)

Often we think of 'chastening' as something unfair from those other nasty people or hardships in life. Such thinking more often than not leads to a false sense of self-righteousness. I think Paul is speaking more of a chastisement of self-discipline, like an athlete, who is focused upon the goal of living in the presence of God and for His glory. I know that every day I must chastise my own self-will, to choose the will of the LORD. And if the LORD uses another person, whether it be my wife, or a stranger to reveal that I have been unkind, or prideful, then as we say I have to 'suck it up.' This is the chastisement that I need in order to prune my self-will, to allow God's will to grow the fruit of the Spirit in me. None of this is easy, but it is not a coincidence that St. Paul reminds us at the beginning of the chapter that...

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb 12.1,2)

Notice that his words are in the plural: we, us. So we first look to Jesus, but we also are to remember the witness of those who have gone before us, and those with us. This is the Church, training for spiritual war, that we might live in His likeness.

LORD in your Mercy, Brian+