I’m Joni, and my question is, does God ever use suffering to discipline us?
That’s a tough one, isn’t it? But once in awhile I touch on it when I share my testimony. I'll often describe how "off-track" I was in my Christian life before my diving accident. In fact, recently I told an audience, "You know, I was involved in some pretty immoral stuff with my boyfriend when I was on my feet. Even though I claimed to be a Christian, I was sinning big-time on Friday nights, heading down a wrong path. And, boy, if my church youth leader had ever found out what I was doing on a weekend with my boyfriend, would I have been embarrassed?! I would quick-confess all my sins two days later on Sunday morning, but six days later on a subsequent Friday night, there I’d be up to my old tricks. My guilt was so heavy and it finally got the better of me and I remember praying—oh, maybe a couple of months before the diving accident in which I broke my neck—I remember praying, “God, please do something in my life to turn it around, because I have no power, am just too weak to say no to sin.”
And then as I was talking to the audience, I added this statement: “Deep in my heart, friends, I know that the accident which left me a quadriplegic was an answer to that prayer." My goodness, little did I realize that it would create such a controversy. Afterward, people came up to me and said, "Joni, are you saying that God was punishing you for your sin? Punishing you with a broken neck?"
It was a good question. And immediately, my mind went to Hebrews chapter 12, verse 6 where it says: "The Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." I had to look that person straight in the eye and say, "Yes, I believe God was punishing me for doing wrong." But stop; wait, because there are two kinds of punishment. One form is called retribution and that's what God does with unbelievers, with wicked people who shake their fists at him, willfully and stubbornly disobeying him, scorning his standards, and walking right into judgment, shaming him. The dictionary defines retribution as the act of taking vengeance for a wicked person’s evil wrongdoing.
But the other kind of punishment is called restoration. That is when God, our heavenly Father sends discipline into the life of one of his own children—discipline that brings that wayward son or daughter back to the path of life. Maybe it’s not as severe as a broken neck; maybe just a broken heart or a broken home. Whatever kind of suffering, when it comes to a Christian, God intends it to be restorative. It is suffering intended to purge sin and rebellion from our hearts.
Now I realize that there is something about that that doesn’t quite sit well with many believers. And maybe that’s because we have bought into the post-modern idea that discipline—like disciplining a child—should just be withholding good, not inflicting pain, as with a spanking. But a casual glance at Hebrews chapter 12 shows us that discipline can be very painful. Restorative punishment is meant to crush our pride; it is meant to bring us to our knees before our heavenly Father who knows what’s best for His children. No, it still isn't easy to take. I mean at first I hated being a quadriplegic. As Scripture says, "No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it is painful!" But during my long months in the hospital, I finally repented and even thanked God for rescuing me—oh, my goodness—he rescued me from a wayward life. God wants to restore us. He's done it with me (and keeps on doing it!), and he will do it with you too. After all, you're one of his kids. And he loves you too much to let you ruin your life.
© Joni and Friends
Used by permission of Joni and Friends
P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376