Chastening Chaseth Not

“My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:” (Pr 3:11 AV)

 The command to not be weary suggests if we are weary of correction, it is because we have chosen to be.  If we are weary of correction, it is not because the correction was too much to bear.  The meaning of this word is interesting.  It means to sever oneself from.  It means to be disgusted or anxious regarding correction.  The word means to abhor, be distressed, be grieved, loathe, or be vexed.  Nowhere in the definition does it mean to be overwhelmed or overtaxed.  Correction is always appropriate to the fault and sufficient to cause a change.  Correction is never punitive.  Punitive affliction is reserved for God’s wrath.  The child of God is not subject to the wrath of God because God’s wrath was satisfied at Calvary.  Therefore, if we feel the correcting hand of God is too much to bear, it is not because of God’s hand we feel this way.  It is because we have chosen to be weary.

I know that I have shared this story before, but it bears repeating.  I grew up in a fixer-upper.  My father, with the help of all his children, completely remodeled the home in which we lived.  When it came time to remodel our personal bedrooms, we were very much involved in the process.  From hanging the sheetrock, to finishing it, to painting the walls, we were very involved.  It came time to remodel the bedroom I would share with two other brothers.  We had taken a break for lunch.  Everyone but myself was downstairs around our very large table eating sandwiches.  I, however, was upstairs, admiring the work we had accomplished and dreaming of the finished product.  With my hand resting on a panel of sheetrock suspended between two sawhorses, it snapped in two.  Immediately, I felt a pit in my stomach.  I knew right away my father was going to be very angry.  So, I escaped down the back set of stairs into the garage, got on my bike, and rode.  And rode I did.  For six hours.  No one knew where I had gone.  I didn’t speak to a soul.  I knew Dad had a tongue lashing waiting for me.  I was too old for spankings, but I would much rather have one of those than a dress down.  I missed lunch.  I missed dinner.  Hunger got the better of me and I returned for my medicine.

I am a grown adult.  I have received my share of spanking and verbal assaults.  I have survived all sorts of time outs, groundings, and extra chores.  I am no worse for wear.  My father, although stern when needed to be, was not abusive.  If there was any failure, it would have been mine.  I left the chastening I deserved because I believed I had reached my limit.  Of course, that was not so.  I am still here today.  God knows what we can handle.  He knows how much correction we can endure and still produce a positive change.  He is not a tyrannical God bent on making our lives miserable.  He is a loving God who corrects His children so they might live a blessed life.  If our punishment seems like it is too much to bear, the problem lies with us.  Our pride has gotten in the way and repentance has not been made complete.  Repentance accepts correction as the minimum of what we deserve.  Just look at Jonah.  He readily admits that he has gotten what his rebellion requires.  Ezra writes, “And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this;” (Ezr 9:13 KJV)  If we are tired of correction, the best way to get over the exhaustion is to repent.  Then we will see the mercy of God in all of it