"It Will Hurt Me More Than It Hurts You!" (Ezekiel 18:32)

The father sternly prepared his son as he was about to spank him.

“Now son, it will hurt me more than it hurts you!”

How many times have we have heard this? And each time, this parental confession still rings hollow. Discipline is seldom painless; the emotional hurt may equal or exceed the physical pain, for both the giver and recipient.  While I understand the sentiment of the father’s quotation, I don’t always believe it.  Oh yeah, I think, then why don’t you switch places with your son and see!

For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.

Ezekiel 18:32 (ESV)

Sometimes I am frustrated when God disciplines me. I don’t believe His promise to the Israelites, prophesied by His prophet Ezekiel.  I think He is too harsh, unforgiving, or misunderstanding. I plead with Him, “Here God, let me lay it out for You, so that You would understand.”

God answers my plea.

Yet you say, “The way of the Lord is not fair.” Hear now, O house of Israel, is it not My way which is fair, and your ways which are not fair?

Ezekiel 18:25

All I am doing is reverting to my selfish desires and informing God, His way is not fair. I continually instruct God how to run my life. I, who have lived less than a century. I, who have lived in only one country. I have the audacity to ask God to switch places with me.

When God disciplines me, it should hurt me far me than I can conceive because I deserve so much more. I am a sinner and the wages of sin is death. I deserve death. It is only by God’s grace and mercy, through His Son, Jesus Christ, that He withholds His justice and disciplines me to transform me into the image of His Son.

Will it hurt me more than it hurts you? For God the Father, it meant seeing His Son die on the Cross, bearing the weight and punishment of all the sins of mankind. How can I ever fully comprehend the pain and suffering of both Father and Son? Why don’t I understand that Jesus died for me so that I would live the life I was created to live? When I will stop instructing God how to run my life?

I desperately need God’s saving grace and mercy in my life!

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.