Proper discipline is not only necessary, it is a gift. This does not mean brutality or lack of compassion, but care and concern. Athletes and musicians undergo a rigorous discipline – constant practice, sacrificing time that they would perhaps prefer to be spending on other things. The result is perfection and performance. The same applies to our lives: the events, people, and challenges we meet are part of divine discipline to prepare us for living in the kingdom of God. We should not flee God’s punishment but embrace it and turn it to our advantage. Jesus attempted to teach and preach in the synagogue of His hometown but was rejected by the people. They knew Him and His family, so they wondered where He got all of these strange things that He was proclaiming from? Most people judge by outward appearance. God reaches out to us through ordinary people and in unspectacular ways. Sometimes even a friend or family member will be a channel for God’s word. We should always be open and listen with the ears of the heart. The message is what is most important.