Is God Punishing Me?
Hebrews 12:6, 11
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” — Hebrews 12:6 (KJV)
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” — Hebrews 12:11 (KJV)
Earlier today, after I posted my devotional, a dear friend shared something that struck a chord with me. She admitted that whenever difficult things happened in her life, she often wondered if God was punishing her.
Her comment immediately took me back more than thirty years because I wrestled with that very same question.
When Joy was born with special needs, I wasn’t just grieving—I was trying to make sense of it.
At that point, I saw him as a big ogre up in the sky looking down and just waiting for me to make a mistake.
I remember asking myself,
“God, what did I do that You would punish me this way?”
But there was something that never made sense to me.
If God wanted to punish me, why would He allow my daughter to bear the burden?
I couldn’t reconcile those thoughts.
So I searched my heart over and over again. I prayed, “Lord, if I’ve sinned and don’t even know it, please forgive me.”
Deep down, I truly believed God was punishing me.
One day I shared those thoughts with my pastor, Rob Caminiti.
I’ll never forget what he said.
“Cindy, God does not punish His children. Your punishment was completely paid for by Jesus through His shed blood on the cross. There is no punishment left for those who belong to Christ.”
Then he continued,
“God does discipline His children, but discipline is different from punishment. When God disciplines a believer, He makes it clear what needs to be corrected because the purpose of discipline is restoration, not condemnation.”
I still remember exactly where I was standing when he said those words.
That’s how deeply they impacted me.
It was one of those rare moments when God used a simple conversation to completely reshape my understanding of who He is.
Until then, I had always thought punishment and discipline were basically the same thing. And truthfully, I didn’t know that God would not punish the Christian.
Pastor Rob made it clear punishment and discipline are not the same thing.
Punishment is the penalty for sin.
Jesus took that punishment upon Himself at Calvary.
If you have placed your faith in Christ, there is no punishment left for you to bear.
Discipline is something entirely different.
Discipline is what a loving Father does for His children—not to make them pay for their sin, but to help them grow in holiness.
That’s exactly what Hebrews teaches:
“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth…” (Hebrews 12:6)
God disciplines us because He loves us.
And although His discipline isn’t pleasant in the moment, Hebrews 12:11 reminds us that afterward it produces “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.”
That day changed the way I viewed both God and suffering.
Instead of asking,
“God, what are You punishing me for?”
I learned to ask,
“Father, what are You teaching me?”
Those are two very different questions.
One is rooted in fear.
The other is rooted in trust.
Challenge: The next time you face a difficult circumstance, ask yourself whether you’re viewing God as a Judge who is punishing you or as a loving Father who is teaching you.
