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How Does God Discipline You? - 4/26/2008 12:55:28 PM
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MyCatSmokey2006
Posts: 2681
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According to God's Word, He disciplines us to make us more like Christ. I believe that He uses many ways to discipline me, including weight gains, car troubles, financial problems, illness, etc. These events have helped me learn to depend on God and trust in Him for all my needs.
So my question is:
1. How does God discipline you?
2. Do you believe that He's doing it for your own good or do you think that He's just picking on you?
3. What have you learned from it?
_____________________________
{ Melissa {
<----Smokey
Check out my BLOG!!!
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/26/2008 2:02:53 PM
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Walker311
Posts: 1937
Joined: 4/11/2005
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Discipline as it relates to Christians?
God's way of discipline is always for our good if we are close enough to Him to recognize it. I chose my way early on and God let me know what He thought about it. His discipline changed the course of life which has been both good and bad but it was what was best for me.
God does not pick on anyone and does not do correction by weight gain otherwise you would be saying I'm big because God is teaching me a lesson.
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/26/2008 10:11:34 PM
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Giulia
Posts: 1076
Joined: 9/29/2005
From: Giulia
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Mostly through my words God disciplines me, like if I bragged or was full of myself He doesn't let me forget it till I have to bring it to Him and He gently reminds me not to next time. I often get a silent rebuke for enjoying praises of men/women. Have to remember that it is God's praise I am tyruly after and He is the only who satifies my hungry soul, people are fickle, God is staunch. Yes mostly through my words God disciplines me, sometimes even through discussion, through someone else's words, which is even more humbling. As soon as I seek someone's approval or speak in that manner to gain approval off that person I lose because then immediately I am at their mercy. I don't like being at a person's mercy, I like to be seeking God's praise instead. That way I don't have to bow the knee to anyone but Him. That is the only way to live a free life, God's discipline is good.
_____________________________
Captured by His love. Justified by His grace.
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/27/2008 2:59:24 AM
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Annie64
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Joined: 6/4/2007
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Interesting question. I recently had an experience that couldn't have been anything else but the Lord's discipline, and it was through our finances.
In April 2006, my family went out of town and we left our tithe check with my brother to put in the offering at church while we were away. My husband and I both believe in tithing, and have done so all our lives. About a year later, my brother found the check--he had forgotten to put it in the offering, so he gave it back to us. By that time, I had come to the concusion that, since I am extremely prone to mistakes in our checking account, that check that had never come back to the bank must have come back and I forgot to mark it. I had added that amount back to our balance and forgotten it. That meant that money that we had set aside for God had long ago been used for ourselves. Of course, we never meant that to happen, and I never felt we were disciplined for that. It was for what happened next.
My husband and I discussed what to do about that tithe check and agreed that we needed to give that much extra to the church to make up for it. We couldn't afford to do it all at once, so we would do it over time, and talked about how much to give at a time until it was all paid. But then somehow we decided not to start doing it right away, but to think about it further. Well, the thinking about it further didn't take place, nor did any extra tithing.
In the mean time, I went back to work to finance sending our two younger children, who had grown disenchanted with homeschooling, to a Christian school. My husband got two raises. Our income greatly increased. But somehow it wasn't enough. We'd had plenty of money before to have everything we needed, pay all our bills, and even have many of our wants, but after an increase in income of thousands of dollars annually we didn't have enough money anymore. My husband made us a budget and worked over it for hours and on paper it still looked like we didn't have enough money. To ad insult to injury for the first time ever, we were going to have to pay taxes instead of getting a return. Worst of all, it became apparent that we weren't going to get the financial aid necessary to send our oldest son to the Christian college of his choice, or even to the slightly less expensive Christian college of his second choice. My husband became very depressed, and felt like a failure because our needs weren't being met, especially our son's "need" to go to a Christian college as opposed to a godless institution about which we had heard so many bad things.
And I remembered the tithe check that was never made up. I told my husband about it and he didn't remember our earlier conversation about it at all. Nor did he think our present financial troubles were related to it. But I did. He agreed that I could make it up if I wanted to, but not all at once. So I did. I always write out tithe checks when I pay other bills, writing the tithe check first. The night I wrote the last check to make up our missing tithe, I paid the rest of the bills and saw what was for us a big surplus--even after paying taxes.
ALL the financial issues but one totally reversed themselves or proved not to be a problem after that lost tithe was made up. Best of all, my husband's attitude did a 180, and the depression dissipated.
The only thing that didn't fix itself was the college tuition problem. My husband took my son to a state college located in our city to see an admissions counsellor to ask if he could still get a merit based scholorship at this late date. This is not a community college, but a nationally recognized state university. When they saw his qualifications, they said he could. He applied, and we are still waiting on his acceptance letter, but it is only a formality--there is no question that he will be accepted. We're not excited about it, but at least he won't be staying on campus. And we haven't totally given up on the idea that a miracle might come through yet for one of the Christian colleges to which he applied months ago. Since God didn't "fix" this for us, unless He's about to and hasn't done it yet, it looks like this may be where He wanted our son.
What have we learned from it? Not that it's important to tithe--we already believed in it. Nor do I think it was about following rules. I can't really speak for my husband (who I don't think is even yet convinced it was related), but I learned from it that it really is important to put God first, and that He really will meet our needs. And if our son has to go to a state university, God will be with him there, too.
_____________________________
On Christ the solid rock I stand
ALL other ground is sinking sand.
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/27/2008 4:42:59 AM
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SinnerSaved
Posts: 208
Joined: 10/28/2007
From: Belfast, N. Ireland
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quote:
ORIGINAL: MyCatSmokey2006
So my question is:
1. How does God discipline you?
It starts with conviction by the Holy Spirit of my sin/transgression. Discipline will only begin if I refuse to listen, but the still small voice does not cease until I do listen and act (confess and repent). Discipline will take many forms, but essentially it is putting barriers in my (wrong) path.
quote:
ORIGINAL: MyCatSmokey2006
2. Do you believe that He's doing it for your own good or do you think that He's just picking on you?
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
quote:
ORIGINAL: MyCatSmokey2006
3. What have you learned from it?
Trust Him. Listen to Him. Obey Him.
_____________________________
"No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
John Donne
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/27/2008 4:54:26 AM
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SonInMe1
Posts: 3548
Joined: 4/16/2005
From: my mom by God
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God never disciplines me.
I..am sinless.
I...keep my perfect relationship with God through repentence.
There is no discipline for the perfect followers of Christ because we never do anything to be disciplined for....
don't you know we all are perfect holy people...or we are not saved? What is wrong with you people?????
_____________________________
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
James 4:4
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/27/2008 7:57:50 AM
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SinnerSaved
Posts: 208
Joined: 10/28/2007
From: Belfast, N. Ireland
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quote:
ORIGINAL: SonInMe1
God never disciplines me.
I..am sinless.
I...keep my perfect relationship with God through repentence.
There is no discipline for the perfect followers of Christ because we never do anything to be disciplined for....
don't you know we all are perfect holy people...or we are not saved? What is wrong with you people?????
Whilst I know that you posted this with tongue firmly in cheek, I must say that sometimes it's the discipline which make me realise that I have sinned/trangressed. As a Christian, I do not knowingly disobey my Lord by sinning. I know that that would mean separation from Him. However, as a man, there are times when I am in the valley and wondering why. That is usually when the Holy Spirit will convict me of what I have done (unwittingly) that was wrong.
_____________________________
"No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
John Donne
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/27/2008 8:46:28 AM
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deliveredarling
Posts: 613
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Son In Me, maybe you should join the crowd over in the Christian Doctrine forum on Hyper Forgiveness, ROTFL
_____________________________
"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed: but he puts it on a lampstand, in order that those who come in may see the light."
Luke 8:16
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/27/2008 2:28:40 PM
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URForgiven
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Joined: 3/22/2008
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quote:
ORIGINAL: deliveredarling
Son In Me, maybe you should join the crowd over in the Christian Doctrine forum on Hyper Forgiveness, ROTFL
I can see you... 
_____________________________
The sin of the world is unbelief.
"I am a Believer, it is impossible for me to be an unbeliever."
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 4/30/2008 12:42:45 PM
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rileykins
Posts: 194
Joined: 4/12/2005
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Hi Melissa
I would have to say that the Lord disciplines me primarily through the study of His written word to me. The Holy Spirit reminds me of what God's word has to say about things and the Lord helps me to line up my thinking and actions accordingly.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb.4:12
rileykins
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 5/2/2008 1:48:49 AM
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RefinersMetal
Posts: 14
Joined: 4/22/2008
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Went backsliding into drugs and developed an anxiety disoder.
He allowed it, and it surely is a pain to deal with and treat everyday.
Nevertheless, Jesus is my Lord and He says that he chastens who He loves!
"It is good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn thy statutues." - Psalms
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 5/2/2008 12:17:25 PM
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LCannon
Posts: 1381
Joined: 2/22/2007
From: Lebanon, OR
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The Holy Spirit in me(us)has two facets, vulnerability to His work and discipline in disobedience in failure to appropriate Jesus' blood/Victory in unbelief and self arrogance . The risk is borne individually. James 1:13-"Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; 14 but each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire."
_____________________________
"[Prayer power] hasn't never been taxed to[His]full capacity.
His standing challenge, 'Call on Me and I will answer with great and mighty
things which thou can't imagine." Hudson Tayor
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 5/2/2008 6:36:56 PM
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Cloak
Posts: 1987
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From: Canada
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Thru trials and tribulations which are not fun but Essential for our growth and maturity.
_____________________________
And My God shall meet ALL Your Needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4: 19)
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 5/2/2008 11:55:38 PM
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SomeFineDay
Posts: 9
Joined: 5/2/2008
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When I am tempted to do something wrong, there is of course a choice. If I pick the right thing, then all is well and good.
However, if I choose to do the wrong thing, this is what I feel. First of all I know what I wrong, and I see the clear choice, if I still pick the wrong thing, then I begin to feel convicted, and depending if I choose to ask for forgiveness or not, that conviction can either be mildly unpleasant to very unpleasant in terms of intensity. If I repent early on it is easy, but I compound the sin if I persist in going my own way which is I suppose why the Holy Spirit gets more "louder".
If I go past this I begin to feel that I am in emotional turmoil, depressed and anxious. In the same fashion as above I am still seeing in front of my eyes the ramifications of the sin I am still holding on to.
If I go beyond the above, I get the the point where I have ignored the conviction for a good while (after all we have the choice to repent or not, and if we don't repent we are ignoring), and I feel that God is distant.
If I go past this (and I have seldom have) I have to admit I begin to feel so lost and sad that I gladly repent, and repent deeply....and well then it is alright, but I am left shaken and wasted and restored.
I have to admit as well that in the times I have persisted in going my own way some very disciplining things in the real world have happened as well. I don't know if I can say that they were from God, but they often did the job of returning me to the place where I should be.
Many times I repent right away but when I do no,t the above is enough to make me not what to repeat the experience when I sin, to not persist in doing the wrong thing, because I know what is sure to come next, and who in their right mind would want to go such an experience.
I guess God does this because of love, but it is a hard thing to deal with as well. Is this a common path, what I have written above?
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RE: How Does God Discipline You? - 5/5/2008 2:13:58 PM
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SomeFineDay
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Reading all these responses it is comforting to see that I am not the only one who wreastles with this. I do realize that it is done in love but all the same it is also unpleasant.
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