Mike Piazza

Mike Piazza was recently voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The former New York Mets catcher credits his father for getting him to the major leagues by forcing him to get into a batting cage every day.

His father now jokes that he could have been arrested for child abuse. Mike said, “He was probably closer to going over the top than most parents today.”

His father’s diligence paid off. Piazza had a great career, and he is still reaping the benefits of his father’s influence.

Hebrews 12:4-13 reminds us that our heavenly Father has our best interests in mind, even when it seems that he is being too harsh with us. Quite often, God’s discipline is just what we need to become the person that he wants us to be. We will someday come to appreciate his divine influence.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”—Hebrews 12:11.