“Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)

I remember reading a passage about a pastor who backslid from the faith. He refused to heed any warnings from the Lord until his health started deteriorating due to excessive alcohol intake. When He finally turned to God, his health got better, but an organ had been damaged. Like Paul, Jesus told this preacher His grace would be sufficient for Him, his organ remained damaged. This man of God went on to live a couple more decades with a damaged organ until he died.

In our verse for today, Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea and the present church by extension. He calls us to repentance and spiritual renewal. He reminds us that His discipline and rebuke are not signs of rejection or abandonment, but rather of His love for us. He did not want to lose the preacher, so He allowed Him to encounter a damning health issue that would keep him in check. Just as a parent disciplines their child to correct them and help them grow, Jesus disciplines us to help us become more like Him.

We have to understand that Jesus’ discipline may come in diverse ways, not only through the aforementioned. Also, His call to repentance is not just a negative command, telling us what not to do. It is a positive invitation, calling us to turn away from sin and towards Him. When we repent, we are not just turning away from our mistakes, we are turning towards a loving God who desires to forgive and restore our spiritual standing. So let us be earnest in our repentance, dear friends, and let us turn towards Jesus with open hearts and minds.

As we respond to Jesus’ call to repentance, let us remember that His discipline is not punitive, but redemptive. He desires to restore us to Himself, and to make us more like Him. So let us not be afraid of Jesus’ rebuke, but rather let us welcome it as a sign of His love for us. May we be earnest in our repentance, and may we experience the joy and freedom of being restored to Jesus Christ.