I am trying to lose weight. Currently, I weigh about 235, but I want to get down to 200. When I first started I weighed over 265, but now I seem to have stagnated at 235. Ugh!
Like anything in life, it takes discipline. Weight loss for some is easy, but for others such as myself, not so much. When I was younger, I packed on the pounds until I was about 16, then I was super skinny until I started grad school. Then I ate like crap for about 8 years and went up to about 250. Then I started traveling for my job and went up to about 275-280. Then I decided I wanted to lose weight.
Because I was disciplined in what I was eating and exercising regularly, I dropped to 215. Then I decided I could eat and do what I wanted and the pounds came back.
The Bible talks about us having discipline and disciplining our children. But why?
The Lord provided us a guideline on how we are to live and he expects us to live that way. However, our flesh takes over and we think we can live the way we want without any consequences. We lack discipline which is why God will punish us from time to time.
I do not think the Lord gets enjoyment out of punishing His people, but if He let us do as we wish, then none of us would be going to Heaven. Remember that God cannot be in the presence of sin and when we disobey God, we are committing sin. God loves us enough to punish us so that we will learn to obey Him.
So the next time that you are being put through a trial or things do not appear to going the way you want, stop and think about why that is. It could be that God is trying to get your attention to let you know you are off course. Then maybe you should thank God for loving you enough to discipline and show you the right path.