Got shape?

Wow. How thoughts can change about what scripture means. I've had a sneaking suspicion for a good long while that we've often overly read the passage in Hebrews where God disciplines those he loves as "God is in the business of spanking and punishing his kids so they'll get in line." There is a valid point to that, but the other side of discipline is to shape a direction, a personality, a character, a life into something beautiful, powerful and good.

It makes me rethink a lot of how we see God and the 'rough patches' in our lives. He's surely given shaping to everyone and often uses each other to do the shaping - what a beautiful concept! How cool is it that we can actually invite each other into our lives and ask them to help shape us into the image of Christ and to reflect back to us what they see in us. And we can know what it looks like in us when we see the fruit of the Spirit growing in us!

It's amazing how overly complicated we can make what it looks like to follow God together. Let's enjoy the shaping and the fruit, together.