Love

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Thank You

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As we wrap up our consideration of where we go wrong with discipline, it appears that at the core we omit the greatest item of all, love.

Hebrews tells us that no discipline is pleasant while it is happening and quite often it can hurt, however we also get a glimpse of what it can produce when applied correctly.

When reflecting upon this further I began to remember a home that I lived in that had a beautiful grapevine. As a novice to grapes I was amazed the first year when the harvest came in and the vine was full of succulent delicacies. Everywhere we looked grapes were coming in and it was amazing. The next year, however, we noticed the grapes did not produce quite as many and the year after that it was almost barren. What happened? I neglected to prune the vine the way it needed so that the vine itself could continue to flourish. After learning about the importance of pruning, the vine was cut back and the next year the harvest returned. Now during that pruning it was hard, the vine suffered a lot of loss as many shoots were removed, but in the end that is what needed to occur to help it flourish.

Showing love to others, particularly those you must discipline, has got to be at the core of our motivation. Much like the grapevine, the pruning will be difficult, yet when the heart is in the right place the results could be amazing. Showing love to those that need correction can be hard, face the fact they did something that did not align with your expectations and that is why you are in this position to start with. As a Believer, it is important to recognize the call that is given to love others at all times, even when they are not behaving as they should.

This is the most difficult area and at the same time is the simplest. Loving those that we must discipline is one of the greatest ways to reflect Christ. Discipline and love act together, if we maintain the right horizon-line on judgment. Imagine the way the world would look at Believers if they saw a heart of love sown into everything we do. This means that during the difficult, and often stressful, situations that we make the conscious choice to show love to everyone we encounter– even if we are also required to show discipline. When you couple discipline and love together, we remove ego enough to stand in awe at the amazing harvest that God provides.

Questions to Consider

1. Reflecting on the analogy of the grapevine, in what ways can discipline be seen as a form of pruning, and how does genuine love play a role in ensuring that the pruning process leads to flourishing rather than barrenness?
2. How can you cultivate a heart of love when you find yourself in a position where discipline is necessary, ensuring that correction is motivated by a genuine desire for the other person's growth and well-being?