chastisement is love

​In today's world, we show love by buying gifts or by doing 'something nice' for someone. People may purposefully spend time together or help someone as an expression of love. When we think of love, we think of romantic songs, candlelit dinners and red roses. Love seems to be a fluffy emotion that also includes the adoration of a famous person or brand. Love revolves around making another feel 'good' and panders to emotions. How much has this carnal and material world influenced our ideas of love? How did we come to think or believe that all these relate to love?  Are these instances really love?
 
God's definition of love is not quite the same. His love is sacrifice, for He sacrificed Christ for our sakes. In doing so, God's measure of love is love beyond what we earn or deserve. And unlike the world, God's love corrects, much like how a good parent corrects a child. Correction may not 'feel' good, but it is certainly one of God's expressions of love.
 
This correction comes by the conviction of the Holy Spirit as a sense, a knowing or a hearing of an inner voice. When we experience the witness of the Holy Spirit in us revealing our mistakes, it is for us to yield and repent in order to become more sanctified. God chastens those He loves and those He considers as His sons and daughters. This leads us to produce the fruits of righteousness and holiness, which is needed, if we are to hope to ever meet God (Hebrews.12:5-14).
 
So, rejoice when the Holy Spirit reveals the unrighteousness in your thoughts, words or deeds towards others.  It is for your correction. Rejoice, for the Lord regards you as one of His. God perfects us by revealing the truths of ourselves to repent so that we become vessels of honour for His purposes (2Timothy.2:20-26) but we must be willing to receive correction and change our ways.
 
Remember that God first loved you (1John.4:19) and that He chose you and called you out of the darkness into his marvellous light (1Peter.2:9). God, who is love (1John.4:8) and your heavenly Father corrects you so that you may come into the fullness of Christ (Ephesians.4:13). Be encouraged that in correction, God is preparing you to fulfil His plans for you.