Loving Correction
My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you.
For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:11-12 (NLT)
Insight
Over the course of my faith journey, my relationship with conviction has been a complicated one. For far too long, I bought into the lie that conviction was God’s way of slapping me on the wrist and shaming me for not being good enough. When I messed up, I was afraid to come into God’s presence. Spending time with Him felt like swimming in a pool of guilt and self-defeat. I left time with God feeling ashamed and burdened, rather than light and free. I wasn’t delighting in God’s presence because I grossly misunderstood the nature of conviction.
It took me a long time to realize it, but conviction is a powerful form of grace. Our God is a loving Father. Whenever He gives us direction or correction, He has our best interest at heart. The Holy Spirit graciously nudges us onto the right path so that we might experience the fullness of the life God created for us to enjoy. When we are convicted, God’s voice gently whispers:
My child, I just want better for you. Please stop hurting yourself and those around you. It pains me to see. I have more for you, if you’d just listen to me.
God is against sin because He is for us. Sin is anything that hurts someone or harms a relationship. Sin is any action or thought that doesn’t acknowledge the value and dignity of a human being made in God’s perfect image. Because sin is so destructive, God speaks out against it. Because God loves us, He has to oppose sin. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be a loving Father.
God’s commandments don’t serve to restrict our lives or keep us from experiencing pleasure. Conviction serves to set us free and help us experience eternal pleasure, right here and now. When we humble ourselves under God’s correction, several things happen. We become better at loving and serving those around us. We live more vibrant and joy-filled lives. We evade self-sabotage and chaos. We become less selfish and more giving. In short, when we let God’s word guide us, we get better at living this life as He intended for it to be lived.
We have to practice giving thanks to God for conviction. It is often uncomfortable and difficult to be corrected. Yet, correction is what we desperately need. It is a gift, not a gateway to guilt.
Reflection
Do you despise conviction? How can you reframe your view of God’s correction to see it as a form of grace?
Prayer
Abba, thank You for loving me enough to correct me. Though conviction often makes me uncomfortable, I know it is an expression of Your grace. You redirect me because You care for me. God, help me to accept Your discipline with joy, knowing that You give it with a loving intent. You want what is best for me and for those around me. You wouldn’t give me tough love if it wasn’t necessary. You don’t want me to experience shame—You only want me to experience the fullness of joy. Your Son secured a life for me that is free and full of delight. Your correction helps me to embrace that wonderful gift. God, help me to see conviction in a new light. I love You, and I thank You for loving me so well. Amen.
Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.