How does God chastise/discipline us? How has he disciplined you?

[WilliamBo]

I have been praying for discipline from the Lord for the whole 5 years I've known Him because I am very undisciplined in many areas... I am weak in my flesh and I keep experiencing depression, anxiety, and fears and sometimes after I push through the depression I experience a great peace afterwards. I feel like this is God putting ''pressure'' on me to change my ways and refine me... I can't tell if this is from my own sin and shortcomings or if it is from God or both. I developed this social-isolation and fearing people and hard time holding a job, my mom wants me to get on disability SSI more ''mental problems'' [i was diagnosed with aspergers syndrome, ADHD, and depression] but I refuse to do that because I know the right thing to do is hold a job and support myself... she is not a Christian and has kind of pampered me my whole life and she doesn't realize how she hinders me from being a self-supporting man.

How does God discipline you? Do you experience extreme pain/discomfort in your spirit in order for it to change you? What do you think? What is your experience? I'd love to hear some stories about God's discipline

 

[Libertas]

I absolutely hate bugs, despise them. One day I woke up and heard buzzing in my living room and I couldn't figure out if it was from outside or inside. I live in a small apartment with thin walls and figured it might just be a bee hive outside.

I walk into the kitchen to grab something to eat and hear loud buzzing this time. It's definitely coming from inside the apartment. I run back to my bedroom and shut the door, periodically checking to see if the noise is still there. It is.

Finally after three hours I decide to go back to the living room to check on the noise. I find 10 dead bees inside my apartment laying on the floor.

This was a month ago. Since then, they've never come back. All the doors were closed, I regularly spray for bugs, there's no way they could have come in any other way.

Of course, maybe it was just coincidental - but this happened right around a time when I was backsliding a bit. I guess I'll never know for sure. To me, chastisement is mostly something that you feel inwardly moreso than situations like that one above - but it could be situations also. Guilt from sin, hiding sin, all can be forms of chastisement too.

 

[Neogaia777]

I have been praying for discipline from the Lord for the whole 5 years I've known Him because I am very undisciplined in following the Lord and in life in general... I am so weak in my flesh and I keep experiencing severe depression, anxiety, and fears and sometimes after I push through the depression I experience a great peace afterwards. I feel like this is God putting ''pressure'' on me to change my ways and refine me... I can't tell if this is from my own sin and shortcomings or if it is from God. I developed this social-isolation and fearing people and not working a job, my mom wants me to get on disability SSI more ''mental problems'' but I refuse to do that because I know the right thing to do is hold a job and support myself... I go weeks without leaving my room and my only hope is in God.

How does God discipline you? Do you experience extreme pain/discomfort in your spirit in order for it to change you? What do you think? What is your experience?

He disciplines me by counseling, advising and educating me, continually with a still small voice...

 

[Emli]

In so many ways. I am a trouble child (aren't we all?).

He usually sends me through trials, far outside my comfort zone and way past my limits, where I fall and can't get up without Him lifting me. That is how I have learnt most of my lessons, and I have been taught so much through it.

And sometimes I get to feel His wrath.
He has just flat out yelled at me at times.
Once where I had really fell into sin (was gossiping and slandering people at work) my bank account was robbed... He let me know He would take my blessings away if I didn't start acting like a good witness and live by His will. THAT did a lot for me.

Last year, I had really fallen back, due to depression and a very faulty image of Him in my head, because I had listened to the wrong preachers on YouTube. He then showed up in front of me, in His glorious and Holy presence and I felt there was no room for Him in my mind. I started crying in desperation and yelled out to Him "You can't fit!" or something like that. He pointed me to everything in my apartment that I was focusing on instead of Him. My computer was the biggest issue (video game nerd). He then made me look at an empty lantern that is on the top of my shelf, that I didn't even know was there. My lamp was empty. I would have gone to Hell if He had left me in that worldly state.
So I recommitted my life to Him. I had to sell my computer and give up everything else that was holding me back.
And I praise Him for it!

 

[Cturtle]

I have been praying for discipline from the Lord for the whole 5 years I've known Him because I am very undisciplined in following the Lord and in life in general... I am so weak in my flesh and I keep experiencing severe depression, anxiety, and fears and sometimes after I push through the depression I experience a great peace afterwards. I feel like this is God putting ''pressure'' on me to change my ways and refine me... I can't tell if this is from my own sin and shortcomings or if it is from God. I developed this social-isolation and fearing people and not working a job, my mom wants me to get on disability SSI more ''mental problems'' but I refuse to do that because I know the right thing to do is hold a job and support myself... I go weeks without leaving my room and my only hope is in God.

How does God discipline you? Do you experience extreme pain/discomfort in your spirit in order for it to change you? What do you think? What is your experience?

According to Scripture God uses His Word to correct us

Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action),
2 Timothy 3:16 AMPC


It's when we choose to not listen to that still small voice or the Word, or the Holy Spirits conviction, that we and up bringing unnecessary stress and complications in our lives. There are also times when we open the door to the enemy (by unrepentant sin or our words) and he can bring about trials that we could possibly mistake as coming from the Lord.

We can surely learn a lot from these trials, but if we would just pattern our lives after the Word and walk in His ways... We would not have to go through some of the things we go through.

Although when we start growing... the enemy likes to attack us to try to get us off our game. To stop us from doing what God has asked us to do, or to get us in doubt so that we will not receive what we're expectantly hoping for and thus then some people get mad at God, thinking that He does not care or is true to His Word.

Blessings... hope this helps

 

[WilliamBo]

Of course, maybe it was just coincidental - but this happened right around a time when I was backsliding a bit. I guess I'll never know for sure. To me, chastisement is mostly something that you feel inwardly moreso than situations like that one above - but it could be situations also. Guilt from sin, hiding sin, all can be forms of chastisement too.

That's an interesting visual, thanks. Maybe God was showing you you had ''bugs'' in your spiritual life. You may be right about being chastised internally mostly, I am trying to figure out if the internal depression and anxiety is chastisement to me because I'm doing something wrong. What do you mean guilt from sin and hiding sin are chastisement

He disciplines me by counseling, advising and educating me, continually with a still small voice...

Awesome, thanks. Yea I can say that I am often guided in the same way I feel.

In so many ways. I am a trouble child (aren't we all?).

He usually sends me through trials, far outside my comfort zone and way past my limits, where I fall and can't get up without Him lifting me. That is how I have learnt most of my lessons, and I have been taught so much through it.

And sometimes I get to feel His wrath.
He has just flat out yelled at me at times.
Once where I had really fell into sin (was gossiping and slandering people at work) my bank account was robbed... He let me know He would take my blessings away if I didn't start acting like a good witness and live by His will. THAT did a lot for me.

Last year, I had really fallen back, due to depression and a very faulty image of Him in my head, because I had listened to the wrong preachers on YouTube. He then showed up in front of me, in His glorious and Holy presence and I felt there was no room for Him in my mind. I started crying in desperation and yelled out to Him "You can't fit!" or something like that. He pointed me to everything in my apartment that I was focusing on instead of Him. My computer was the biggest issue (video game nerd). He then made me look at an empty lantern that is on the top of my shelf, that I didn't even know was there. My lamp was empty. I would have gone to Hell if He had left me in that worldly state.
So I recommitted my life to Him. I had to sell my computer and give up everything else that was holding me back.
And I praise Him for it!

This is really incredible. I feel like I have felt His wrath a few times too. It sounds like God was teaching you to be dependent on Him. That's really awesome that he showed up in your apartment like that, wow. Sounds like you had some idols. Good job on selling your computer... I had a friend a few years back that LOVED guns/hunting and really idolized this fancy handgun he had... but he eventually sold it because he was really idolizing the gun. That is SO cool that He made you look at an empty lantern, incredible imagery. Thanks for the stories, I really enjoyed reading your post. I need to get to a point to where I can be shown things like that by God also.

According to Scripture God uses His Word to correct us

It's when we choose to not listen to that still small voice or the Word, or the Holy Spirits conviction, that we and up bringing unnecessary stress and complications in our lives. There are also times when we open the door to the enemy (by unrepentant sin or our words) and he can bring about trials that we could possibly mistake as coming from the Lord.

Yea I've experienced attacks from the enemy whenever I am trying to do something God is telling me to do also. Yea I think my part of my distress is caused by disobedience. Thanks for your input, I will keep these things in mind.

 

[Jesus4Ever]

Ever since I started really praying to Him and reading the bible, I feel this deep fear in my chest. And nearly everyday since then I've wept to myself. Sometimes the stress gives me a headache.

I don't know if it's God trying to chastise me though or if my depression and anxiety is manifesting itself into my belief of God.

I mean I'm a new believer too...and to change everything to conform to His Word will take some time. A whole new lifestyle and while I do intend to change, I don't think it can happen over night. I try to do what I can. Unless God suddenly decides to change my heart completely and fill me with the Holy Spirit, I don't think change is going to happen drastically.

 

[Jesus4Ever]

In so many ways. I am a trouble child (aren't we all?).

He usually sends me through trials, far outside my comfort zone and way past my limits, where I fall and can't get up without Him lifting me. That is how I have learnt most of my lessons, and I have been taught so much through it.

And sometimes I get to feel His wrath.
He has just flat out yelled at me at times.
Once where I had really fell into sin (was gossiping and slandering people at work) my bank account was robbed... He let me know He would take my blessings away if I didn't start acting like a good witness and live by His will. THAT did a lot for me.

Last year, I had really fallen back, due to depression and a very faulty image of Him in my head, because I had listened to the wrong preachers on YouTube. He then showed up in front of me, in His glorious and Holy presence and I felt there was no room for Him in my mind. I started crying in desperation and yelled out to Him "You can't fit!" or something like that. He pointed me to everything in my apartment that I was focusing on instead of Him. My computer was the biggest issue (video game nerd). He then made me look at an empty lantern that is on the top of my shelf, that I didn't even know was there. My lamp was empty. I would have gone to Hell if He had left me in that worldly state.
So I recommitted my life to Him. I had to sell my computer and give up everything else that was holding me back.
And I praise Him for it!

What wrong preachers? What did they teach?

And in that case, are video games not permissible or only in small quantities?

 

[Kit Sigmon]

Hebrews 12:4-11
I recently studied on this and here's something I learned...
Two different Hebrew words are used in the above verses: yasar means disciplinary actions and yakach, which refers to corrective words.

In my really stiff-necked times, yasar; then when I was in ignorance, yakach.