"I Will Not Cry! Famous Last Words!"

So let’s just be real…nobody in their right mind loves to be disciplined! There are many aspects of discipline, none of which we enjoy! There is the physical aspect of discipline, the emotional aspect of discipline, and my least favorite, the after-effects of discipline (i.e. the work of fixing the thing that was being disciplined).

I remember when I was a wee little lad, 9 or 10 years old, and getting into trouble for something I did wrong. My parents spanked of me as a child (my parents spanked me because it’s biblical!). What you need to know about me as a child, however, was that I had an INSANE imagination. Every single moment of the day was lived in my imaginary world…whether it was fighting Philistines, sneaking in to a secret lab for the F.B.I., or being the amazing NBA basketball star…my life was an incredible land of imaginary awesomeness! While being disciplined was no exception! Thus, I found myself sitting on my bed waiting for the meeting between Mr. Paddle and Mr. Butt and thinking to myself…I am like a captive slave in the ancient times of Israel in Egypt and I am about to be flogged for Jesus…thus, I will NOT CRY! This to me was an adventure, not a time where I realized that I had disobeyed my parents and displeased my Savior. My mother came in, had me turn around and spanked me 3 times. Did I cry? HECK NO! I grimaced and gritted my teeth and not a tear exited my ducts. My mom looked at me somewhat surprised, walked out of the room, and I thought I was victorious! Not 30 seconds later, she came in and explained that I was being rebellious and not accepting the punishment for my disobedience and that I was to get 3 more spanks. Again, I turned around and received the “flogging” and held in the tears…I was a slave for Jesus and I wasn’t going to let Him down (I am so laughing as I write this right now!). She again looked at me in shock and disappointment, left the room, and had me feeling even more super confident – even though my butt hurt like none other! 30 seconds went by and I heard footsteps…but not 2 feet…4 feet. Fear began to creep into my heart as I realized that my dad was right behind my mother! They both walked in and explained that what I had done was wrong, that I was having a bad attitude towards my discipline, and that I needed to receive the punishment for my disobedience. I got 3 more swats and finally gave in to the stinging pain on my butt cheeks and cried like a little BABY.

I’ll never forget what happened afterwards…my mother AND my father both started crying. My dad never cried in front of me when he spanked me…he never enjoyed disciplining me, but he never cried (he may have cried after, but I never saw it). He sat down this time though, tears falling from his face, and asked, “Ryan, why did you not accept your discipline? You had done something wrong…you have to accept the consequences of your sin of disobedience. It hurts mommy and it hurts me…and it hurts God when you disobey, but it hurts even more when you don’t accept discipline.”

Now, obviously I was just stupid and my imagination caused me more pain…at that age I was not fully aware of my need for a Savior and my disobedience being sin against God as being important…yet what my dad said stuck with me and came up this week as I read Hebrews 12.

“10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.”

Specifically verse 10 hit me very hard. See, these past 2 weeks, God has revealed a lot of deeply rooted sin that I had not been dealing with. The consequences were starting to show themselves as I was receiving discipline from the Lord. Everything inside me wanted to fight it. I don’t have time to go through all of Hebrews 12, but verse 10 is amazing. God disciplines us not only because He loves us, not only “for our good,” but ultimately so that we may “share His holiness.”
What an amazing thing! God wants us to be holy. He desires that so much that He will discipline His children, which is painful for Him and for us! But do you understand that by refusing His discipline, we are refusing to become holy as God is holy?

What an amazing simple truth…and there is so much more in Hebrews 12. This specifically hit me…God disciplines us for our good…our good is that we become more like Him. Why would I refuse a means of becoming like God? Yes it’s uncomfortable, but it produces the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).

Is God disciplining you? It’s not only for your good…it is to push you and help you in your striving to become holy!

Twitterpated

As I was sitting in Starbucks this morning, the table across from me was occupied by two college students, both girls. As I was reviewing some notes I had written the night before on a specific text, I overheard a modicum (google that word) of their convo. One of the young ladies was extremely giddy in sharing with her friend about the incredible week she was having. After tuning my ears a bit to their conversation (I know, so rude but SO FUN), the reason she was giddy was because the past two nights she had hung out with a male “acquaintance.” She rattled on about how they stayed up with their friends talking till all hours of the night, had driven all around the valley one night with her friends and him, and blah blah blah! Long story short, this young girl (who I found out through listening more, was a Christian) was what I like to say, “twitterpated” with this young man. Although nothing was official as they were at the “getting to know each other phase,” she was obviously oozing with excitement about practically nothing. She had simply hung out with this guy at small groups, with her friends, at coffee, etc and couldn’t keep it inside! It was very entertaining and in a manly way I would say “cute!” I remember having those same feelings when I first started hanging with my now fiancé. To this day I still get giddy when I talk about her to someone…yes, I am still twitterpated! I love telling everyone about my future wife and it brings me such joy!


And then I started thinking (which is never a good sign)! Do I ooze with what has been given freely to me? Do I show my twiterpated heart because of the amazing grace God has given to me? If people “overhear” my life, do they see my excitement about the Gospel?

"8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you." 2 Timothy 1:8-14 ESV (bold added for emphasis)

It’s amazing to read Paul’s letter as he so wonderfully describes his experience and encounter with God’s grace. I love how Paul so clearly shows us the Gospel. The Gospel is never good news when it is about us, but is only good news when it is about Christ. This is so clearly shown in verse 9. Paul shows us in these seven verses a wonderful expectation and response to the Gospel!


Obviously Paul declares that we are saved according to the grace of God and not by any works we have done. When we truly realize this as Paul did, it should move us to a posture like Paul’s – unashamed and reckless living for Christ! Paul then states in verse 14 to “guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” The Greek word “guard” in context means “to guard from being lost; to keep; to preserve.”


Do you see what Paul’s charge is? He is saying that if you understand the Gospel correctly you should be moved to live passionately and unashamedly for Christ. How do you do that? By making sure the Gospel is never lost in your heart. That it is always the main thing in our lives, both privately and publicly. If we are having the Gospel truly affect our lives as it should, we should be challenged to show others how it impacts us, even if that means we are viewed as “twitterpated,” “giddy,” or “silly.” We are called to guard the Gospel in our lives, for if we do, then it will impact our lives so that it “oozes” out to others…what an amazing challenge!