"Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"
It is imperative that we as followers of Christ understand that God's purpose for our lives is our sanctification. We endure trials, hardships and persecution because through these, God admonishes, encourages, challenges and strengthens every fabric of our being in order that we may come to know Christ more intimately. None of us have suffered or will ever suffer to the point of shedding blood as Jesus did and the weight behind the choice He made for us. We can only accept His priceless gift and live our lives saved henceforth in praise and thanksgiving.
What we can draw our attention to is understanding that the discipline of the Lord is necessary for us to mature in our faith. Discipline is always purposeful when administered by God, so there is no need to resist it. We must embrace it and thank God for it. I can remember countless times when God allowed me to choose sin and its consequences and times when He prevented me from falling farther than I could have. In both cases, His hand acted in love and solely because of love. Why would I ever grumble or complain about that? Rather, I believe a perspective change is imperative to ensure we embrace God's timing and purpose for discipline if we are grow up in our faith. Because without it, we are vulnerable to misinterpreting God's will for our lives and why He does what He does, when and how He chooses.
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