I recently saw a tweet from a pastor celebrating that he woke up early that morning…at 7:00am!

Back in the day, I could relate to that existence, but no longer. Over the past year and a half, God has disciplined me to embrace the morning more aggressively. I have found the joy of arising at 4:35am, grabbing some time for devotional reading before going to a 5:30-6:15am and then grabbing a cup of coffee (or 4) with friends…and getting back home to my family all before the above pastor wipes the sleep from his eyes.

Now I am not proposing you must manage on the same timeframe. But I am curious how is God disciplining your life?

During my devotions this morning, I read this passage of Hebrews 12, and have found that most people stop short by focusing on the first clause, and fail to read and digest this passages full point: Are you allowing God to discipline your life?  What things have changed in your life now that you follow Jesus Christ?  This begs the question–if Jesus has merely blessed your prior lifestyle, where’s the life changing struggle?

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
And you have forgotten the word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

‘My Son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when He rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those He loves,
and he punishes everyone He accepts as a son.'”

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (And everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; 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.

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,”[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.