No Excuses

Week 1, Day 6

"But God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 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." Hebrews 12:10b-11 NIV

Letting go of parts of ourselves that we have grown familiar with can feel painful. It’s easy to make excuses for our ways by rationalizing and saying, “That’s just the way I am.” We might even have good reasoning to support our nature. However, allowing ourselves to be disciplined opens our lives up to life in the Spirit. How do you know you’re being refined to a life in the Spirit? You start to look like the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.