A PROCESS IN THE PROGRESS
Why do we correct and discipline our children? Because we want them to grow up to be successful in life. Some parents scream at their children and lash our when their children irritate them and get on their nerves. This is opposite to training children. Responsible parents diligently and lovingly discipline bad behavior. They correct their children and bring them into line when they are rebellious, out of order, disobedient, tell lies, talk back, pout, and have moods. They will not tolerate these negative habits.Why? Because they are preparing their children for life--to one day be the best employee in the company, to have good attitudes, to be a vessel ready to be used by God, and also to enjoy a happy and successful marriage. If we allow our children to grow up with negative habits, those habits will one day destroy their marriage.
In the same way God diligently works in our lives. His wants to conform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). This certainly doesn’t happen without some serious working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul said to the Corinthians: “Our one prayer is for the complete correction of your lives” (2 Corinthians 13:9 Barclay). The KJV uses “perfection” for the word “correction.” I checked my Lexicon and it says the word “denotes a process in the progress.” This can only happen through correction of what is wrong in our lives.
We must always be open to God’s gentle correction. He uses many ways to do this. He speaks to us as we read His Word and shows us what grieves the Holy Spirit in our lives (Ephesians 4:27, 30). He uses other people to correct us (sometimes our husbands). We don’t usually like it, do we? But we must remember that it is ultimately God who wants to correct us and conform us into His image.
If we don’t listen to God speaking to us through His Word, or we don’t have a soft heart to receive correction from our husbands or other people, He often allows difficulties and trials to come our way to wake us up, refine us, and bring us into line with His will.
Let’s keep soft hearts, always open to correction. If our children are stubborn and do not receive our correction, they become willful and rebellious. It’s just the same with us. We either have soft and tender hearts to God’s correction in our lives or we become stubborn and rebellious.
The Amplified version talks about the “all-round strengthening and perfecting of the soul.” I want this, don’t you? It only comes through correction—for ourselves personally and in the training of our children.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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