Balancing the Rod and the Staff

One of the many things I struggle with is the balance between the discipline of God and the grace of God. It seems to me that trying to get a right, balanced view of it is hard, not only because we tend to focus on what we’re pre-disposed to focus on, but people I meet tend to only focus on grace. It seems that whenever you speak out the discipline of God or approach the suggestion of that, someone is always quick to bring in the grace of God. I suppose that is what I struggle with.

It seems that if you talk about discipline people don’t want to hear about it and instead concentrate on grace. Like discipline is some sort of disease that doesn’t happen if you don’t bring it up. Maybe it is the way that I bring it up, or maybe they think I am forgetting grace when I speak about the discipline. I do suppose that sometimes I make it seem like “if I don’t do this, I shall be punished” but that’s not really it.

God is clear that he disciplines those he loves with the rod and that “[h]e who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently” (Proverbs 12:24,NASB) and “[m]y Son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he scourges every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12:5, NASB)

God does not shy away from discipline or saying that He disciplines. I get the feeling a lot of people concentrate on the grace of God because it’s comforting, emphasizing forgiveness to the extreme which isn’t a balanced view. But I suppose that’s how we tend to function as sinners don’t we? Going to extremes.

Or maybe it is because I make it sound like the reason why I strive to do well is because God will discipline me which is a wrong attitude to have. Our wanting to do good shouldn’t come from a place of fear, but instead a place of love. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” (1 John 4, NASB)

I suppose that is what my real struggle is, the balance between reverencing God knowing that He disciplines because He loves, and living, doing good in walking with Him and wanting to do good to grow in His love. That love is reason enough to resist sin. “You have no yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin…” (Hebrews 12:4, NASB) And I have not resisted to the point of shedding blood. I find that I give in and do the things I do not want to do, neglecting the good things I want to do like Paul in Romans 7.