It is easy to misunderstand the discipline of God. He bears down on us and deals with anything in us that needs to change. He sends forth His Word to convict us. He uses pastors, friends, family members, to speak truth to us. He engineers difficult circumstances to reveal deficiencies and to stretch us further into a life of holiness. The process can be unpleasant at times, but we should never be discouraged. The Lord is at work preparing us for eternity.