Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  Hebrews 12:5-6

I have been and continually am guilty of regarding God’s discipline lightly.  Brushing it off; outright ignoring; refusing to come to Him and work on the sin problem; trying to treat the “symptoms” instead of attacking the root of the issue; thinking that His consequences aren't real and that He doesn't really care enough about me to actually cause something devastating to happen to me as a result of my sin.

I was wrong.

As a child of God, sometimes coming to God with our pain can temporarily lead to more pain.  Avoiding Him, however, always, every time, without fail, leads to exponentially more severe consequences and acute pain.  God treats us as His children (Hebrews 12:7).  His discipline is meant to lovingly and gently correct and, eventually, lead us into peace and righteousness; it is meant to mature us into the image of His Son.  If we reject His discipline and choose to see Him as unloving, evil, or arbitrary, then He is forced to use more drastic means to get our attention and to lead us into a right perspective in our hearts towards Him. 

If my own child does something wrong, then comes to me to seek forgiveness and restoration, my response through correction, reteaching, and consequence will be far less severe than if he does something wrong then tries to cover up his actions, all the while having a complacent attitude towards me.  My desire is for him to DESIRE my approval; to want to do the right thing because He knows I love Him and I only set boundaries for him in order to protect him, boundaries that will ultimately lead to his good.  The way He comes to me after he has done something against me has EVERYTHING to do with the amount, type, and severity of correction he receives.  The deeper the issue, the more drastic the consequence needs to be in order to fully uproot the problem and grow good fruit in place of the bad.

One question you must ask yourself is can you sense the discipline of the Lord in your life?  If not, why not?  The Lord disciplines His kids.  You may be undergoing a season of less strenuous discipline than other times of your life, but you should sense it nonetheless.  He is always working on us, we never have a point where we've "arrived."  If you don't feel this inward pull towards Christlikeness, you should ask God why and measure your relationship with Him against His Word.

 “Whoever spares the road hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” Proverbs 13:24

The Lord only disciplines those He loves.  His correction is meant to restore, teach, build up, bring us to a better place.  Whatever is going on in our live is meant to lead us AWAY from eternal destruction, even if it does lead temporarily to more pain.  We are being perfected, refined, and molded into the image of Jesus Christ.  The process is a long and sometimes painful one…we have a long way to go and there is much work to be done!  But God’s glory and our eternal home is at stake.  It is THE adventure of the Christian's life and we have the ultimate tour guide;).  Submitting to his discipline isn't always easy but the alternative is absolutely impossible.

Youth group doesn't last forever

I realize that mainly my close friends and family will be the ones (if any) who read this.  But I guess I am just wanting to purge my brain of the millions of thoughts that seem to be racing through it at every moment of every day, so please remember that I am writing mainly to and for my own therapeutic process.:)

Mark 4, The Parable of the Sower

Jesus explained the parable of the sower to his disciples like this, "The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." (Mark 4:14-20 ESV)

Jesus says that in some who hear the word of God, the word will "prove unfruitful."  This does not mean that they didn't first hear it, get excited, go tell their friends and family, live in the emotions of their newly found discovery, go to church camp, get in a Bible study, start tithing, and think their life was completely and forever changed.  But what did Jesus say happened?  That 1. the cares of the world, 2. the deceitfulness of riches, and 3. the desires for other things enter in (these are the thorns from v. 7).  They choke out all excitement for God, dulling the hearer's senses to anything spiritual and decreasing their appetite for God.  Oh, I have bought into these lies before, and they are so subtle, so well-crafted, that we often don't see them as what they truly are...thorns choking the life out of us!  Some of these lies are:

• turning to God is not the solution to the problems I'm facing
• my "issues" are not spiritual ones, God isn't relevant to me right now
• I can compartmentalize my life into categories so that God stays separate from my emotions, my physical body, my thoughts, my desires
• having money and stuff feels better than seeking God now, so it must be what I need to focus on
• I don't have a desire to daily seek God so it must be His fault
• if I stop pursuing a relationship with God, then He will just disappear from my life, almost like He was a figment of my imagination.  
• God isn't fun, knowing Him is just hard work and not worth it

And the list could go on and on.

I would just like to say that if your beliefs and theology aren't tested, examined, studied, KNOWN, then they WILL NOT stand up against what this world throws at you.  Your desire for God WILL, without a doubt, be choked out by worldly cares, money, and desire for other things besides God.

Friends, it's easy to desire what we see, what is tangible and attainable in the here and now.  It's not as easy to eagerly desire what we cannot see, what we must wait for, and what we must persevere to attain.

I see so many people who were strong believers in the past, very active in high school youth group or were even Sunday School teachers, who now have put their Biblical foundation aside and embraced secular philosophies, worldly wisdom, and politically correct ideals.  Now don't get me wrong, I am all about the security of the believer and I believe that God holds His kids securely in His hand (John 10:28-29) and nothing can separate His children from His love in Christ (Rom. 8:38-39).  But I also believe that MANY people who think they knew Jesus at one time in their lives will be rejected by God when they die because they did not "do the will of [the] Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7: 21).

Please hear what the Bible says:  it's not what you did with God's word yesterday that makes His word prove fruitful, it's what you did yesterday, what you do today, and what you will do tomorrow.  It all matters.  If you said a prayer when you were 8 years old, were baptized, and haven't talked to God since then, you should not feel like you know God.  That is a false theology you are buying into, not a Biblical one.  Sure, God knows everyone on the planet; but He has a special, intimate knowledge of His children (John 10:27-28).  True believers see God as their treasure (Matt. 13:44), their lifeline (John 14:6), the food they eat (John 6:48) and the water they drink (John 4:14),   It's the continued belief, the perseverance of the faith, that marks us as true believers.  Consider what the Bible says about perseverance:

• "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised." (Heb. 10:36)
• "But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." (James 1:25)
• "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."(2 Timothy 4:7)
• "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." (1 Cor. 9:24)
• "But the one who endures to the end will be saved." (Matt. 24:13)

I am deeply saddened when I see people claiming to love the Jesus of the Bible then posting all kinds of non-Biblical ideas on Facebook and other social media.  It disturbs me so much to think that people I love feel a false sense of security that their eternal destination is settled because of one incident of calling on God many years ago.  I pray that the thorns choking the life-giving power out of Word of God in the people I love will be cut back with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; I pray that those who have known the Truth will accept it and be rooted and grounded in it so that they could withstand what the world and Satan throw their way; I pray.

Stinky shoes and tiny treasures

One of the best parts of every day for me is Elli showing me what treasure she's brought home for me from school. Usually it's something she finds on the playground, or sometimes a bead from the class art center, or (if I'm lucky) a picture she drew. Almost always, however, it's something very tiny. Yesterday she gasped as she remembered what she had brought me and ran to her shoes that she had taken off beside the door, took out the sole of one shoe, and retrieved a minuscule plastic decorative feather. It looks like it used to be blue but, judging by the faded color and general raggedy appearance, I'm assuming it's seen a fair share of winters on the elementary playground. I thanked her profusely, of course, laid the little feather down on the counter, and went about my busy afternoon, the feather seemingly forgotten. But, low and behold, I noticed it first thing this morning. I ALMOST swept it in my hand to bring to the trash can cause, let's be honest, how many tiny trinkets can one mom possibly keep up with? But I stopped. It dawned on me that one day, without warning, she will stop bringing me presents every day; that this hideous little feather could represent the last time her simple, child-like innocence spilled over on me in such a tangible way; that I am so grateful that she thinks about me still and wants to make me proud of her. So this time, the cute little piece of trash she collected for me will be taped in her baby book with a reminder jotted next to it of her sweet little heart that isn't jaded by worldly expectations or grown-up anxieties. And I'll cling to the goodness of my little daughter seeing a feather, thinking of her mommy, and doing the most natural thing that came to her: hiding it away in the safest spot she could think of until she was home again, which just so happened to be quite possibly the smelliest Dora-themed shoe in existence:)

Discipline

Anything worthwhile takes discipline. A masterpiece doesn't spring out of nothing. It is the result of a premeditated effort, struggling through tediousness, battling monotony, persevering despite tiredness or boredom or lack of fast results because you know the end result will be worth the pain of practice.
Oh how many things this principal can be applied to in my life!! Music, parenting, my relationship with my husband, my relationship with Jesus, cleaning, gardening, etc. Spontaneity has its place but without disciplined practice, spontaneity isn't even really possible.
When we are young, we don't understand how to look forward and see the end result of the hard work we're doing today. Child/adolescent brains do not have the capability to make decisions that take into consideration all the repercussions that today's choices may have, on themselves or on other people (it's due to the physical makeup of their brains, the 2 frontal lobes of the brain are not fully connected until adults reach their mid twenties, which is the place where decision-making is processed.) That is why the responsibility to make tough choices falls on the parent. It's a parent's job to protect their child from ruining the rest of their life by making wrong decisions while they are not yet fully capable of making them on their own. That is why parents are in charge of making sure their children do their homework, practice piano, stick with a friend during a hard time, read their Bibles, memorize Scripture, clean their room, eat their veggies. Parents make decisions FOR their kids while they can so that when the time comes and the kids have the capability of making decisions for themselves, they'll choose on their own what they already know so well and has given them the happiest results.

John Piper once said that it is possible for children to not have to "experiment" with sin in order to know fully that God's way is the best way, the way that leads to life and peace and joy.

Lord God, I pray that You help me model your discipline in my own life, in joy and thankfulness, so that my children will not ever want to depart from You. That they'll know the joy that comes from Your protection, which can only happen when we obey You; that they'll delight in your law and rest in the promises of Your holy Word, not buying into the lies from Satan that what the world offers is better than You. Father, teach me to discipline them now so that their choice to follow You later will be a much less difficult one than it could be.

Exposing the lie that sin is better than God.

We have an enemy. He is out to steal, kill, and destroy us. His tactics are to accuse, lie, and deceive us. He doesn't have the power of the truth on his side. He has to resort to lies. And his lies are not new or original. He's been putting out the same old half truths and lies since the garden of Eden. But he's convincing. He's persuasive. And his arguments can actually hold up...for a time.

There is a lie that he has used from the beginning: that sin is better than God. I have believed it time after time. Every time I give in to anger or resentment or depression or jealousy or lust or anxiety...I, in essence, decide that my own desire to be in control of my situation produces a better feeling or result than taking the "narrow road." The willingness to give in to sin's enticement is a result of a lack of belief in God. I have been there. So many times. Oh that I would truly believe that
God's love is better than life,
His word is sweeter than honey,
He delights over me with singing,
His precepts are right, rejoicing the heart,
He has given me everything I need through Jesus for life and godliness.

Anything that separates me from a closer relationship with Jesus is sin. ANYTHING. I want to hate sin. I want to despise the shame it brings in the presence of a holy God. I don't always. But I am fighting to see sin as God sees it; to trust that He has my best interest at heart and if he says "no," he's not trying to steal my happiness but give me deep, everlasting, non-circumstantial joy!

Anybody can love when it's easy.

Love is not easy. Giving and receiving it means sacrifice. Every. Time.

I've heard that "I love you" means to accept people as who they are without trying to change them. I agree that I alone cannot change the people I love. But "I love you" does not mean seeing the people you love doing, thinking, or feeling self-destructive things and leaving them "as they are." I should never attempt to force, coerce, or manipulate someone to change. But I can show them God's standard and God's love, point them to the One who CAN produce change in them. If I am doing, saying, or acting ways that are bad for me, that lead me away from God (who is the Source of everything good), I hope and pray someone loves me enough to help me, to lovingly point out what they see as destructive, and to help me find the strength to seek God's healing.

The willingness to be corrected by others in order to become like Jesus (that is to be better able to be loving toward others) is called HUMILITY. Without humility, the sanctification process of the believer completely halts.

The willingness to confront others in truth, humility, and gentleness in order to lead them to Jesus (that is to be better able to be in a more loving, healthy, effective relationship with Jesus) is called LOVE. Only humble love allows us to see the sin, destructiveness, bad habits, annoying idiosyncrasies, and character flaws of the people around us and not criticize, but restore;
not judge, but empathize;
not look down on, but bow low to serve;
not add to their weight, but stoop underneath and lift them up.

"Love your neighbor as yourself" sums it up. I love myself enough to hope that I become better over time. Only a self-absorbed, self-focused, self-loathing person would be so satisfied with everything about himself that he would never want to change, grow, develop, mature. Is it wrong or selfish to hope for my husband, family, children, friends, neighbors, church family the same things that I hope for myself for? No! That is what love it, granted the things you want for yourself are good, healthy, God-glorifying things.

The author of Hebrews warns us to not become "dull of hearing"(5:1), to not be ok with stagnating in our faith but to go on to maturity (6:1), to desire to be mature in the deeper things of the faith (6:11).

In our "loving" society, where we are pushed to tolerate, accept, love people where they are, and not attempt to enhance anyone's life with knowledge of the truth. I believe real love has been replaced with a watered-down, fake, self-protecting version. Even among the church, this view has penetrated, transforming our effectiveness in being able to share the gospel with others and our effectiveness at being transformed ourselves by the Word and correction from the people in our lives.

Love is not easy. Giving and receiving it means sacrifice. Every. Time.

Anyone can love when it's easy. But when the going gets tough and you can keep on giving, keep on forgiving, keep on meeting people where they are, keep on being willing to hear correction with "sharp ears," that's where God's supernatural love is displayed. That's when His power takes over. That's the moment we choose to fight the natural desire to be angry or push away or turn on others or pout or complain or deny.

"When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:11-13 ESV)