And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, 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.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? (NIV)

Have you ever been called into the principal’s office? The palm-sweating begins as you sit outside his or her office in the uncomfortable chairs waiting for your turn. It cracks me up that even now as an adult, when the elementary school principal calls me into his office to discuss something, my heart starts beating faster. Generally, the school principal brings you into his office to address a disciplinary issue. You have broken a school rule and there will be a consequence delivered for your words or actions. It’s usually a very uncomfortable conversation for the person sitting on the other side of the desk from the principal.  

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It sems like the writer of our sticky note today found themselves in a “principal’s office” situation, too. They wrote, “Even though we have to have difficult and uncomfortable conversations it does not take my love away from you.” Now, while this could apply to a parent receiving a word of wisdom from God about a situation with a child, I’m going to address this one from the perspective of the writer as the child, and God the Father speaking a word of assurance.

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Our verse today is part of a longer passage in which the writer of Hebrews is discussing God’s discipline of his children. The New Testament author bases his teaching on a passage from the Old Testament book of wisdom, Proverbs 3:11-12: “My son, 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.” The Hebrews passage goes on to explain that good fathers discipline their children, and therefore, when we experience God’s discipline, it is because we are loved by a Good Father.

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In an interview about discerning God’s discipline, John Piper said, “And so what we need to remember is that we are always loved. Hebrews 12:6, he disciplines those whom he loves. For God’s children, know that discipline is always ever in love.”

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God’s discipline can look like many different things in our lives – God allowing hard things, when we simply experience the natural consequences of our actions, or even God’s kindness, which can lead us to repentance, like it says in Romans 2:4 – BUT, all of them come from God’s desire to grow and mature us, just as a good earthly father would be motivated to do, as well.

Now, we know that human discipline is not always in love. While the principal might not like you very much if you’re always in their office, and they could even treat you poorly if not good at separating your mistakes from their behavior toward you, God’s view of us and treatment of us does not change, no matter how many times we “come to his office.” As the sticky note writer discerned, needing to have hard conversations, presumably because you’ve gone astray, does not remove God’s love.  

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Can you rest in God’s unconditional love today? You can bring God your fears, doubts, questions and confessions, and it will not change his love for you. It may be awkward and uncomfortable (though God knows every thought you think anyway), but it strengthens your relationship when you honestly come to him with a repentant and open heart. So, I challenge you today to have that uncomfortable conversation with the Father whose love never fails.

Loving Father, sometimes we are like a child, afraid to go to the principal’s office when it comes to our relationship with you. Daily we screw up, and then sometimes we get way off the path you want us to follow. Forgive us for not having the hard conversations with you, of trying to hide what we’ve done or what we really think. Help us to be confident that, as followers of Christ, we are beloved children, even when we’ve messed up yet again. Help us also to accept your correction because it comes from a place of love and is meant for our good. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.