“While God remains faithful to people and His promise, He will honor their choices and let them waste their whole lives if they choose to live in rebellion.”
What a scary place to be.
It makes me think back to some of my high school coaches. Some of them would yell so much and you always felt like a failure when they yelled because you thought it meant you were screwing up. But then an upperclassmen would tell you, “They think you have potential so that’s why they yell at you. Look at the kids who don’t get yelled at. They don’t play much.”
I am not saying that God “yells” at me but I do believe what Hebrews 12:10b says,
“…God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.”
No one likes getting yelled at by a coach or having to go through all the exhausting drills but their purpose is to make you a better player. Most of the time the coach is not doing it just to be mean. They are pushing you so that you grow as a player to reach your full potential.
It seems backwards that God disciplines those who love Him rather than those who choose to live in rebellion but Hebrews 12:11 explains why it is a good thing:
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”