“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.” Hebrews 12:7
Discipline. The very word causes us to squirm. Memories of extra chores, extra-long weekends (due to grounding and restriction), and the board of education being firmly applied to the seat of learning fill our minds. When we were younger, these methods seemed mean—barbaric practices contrived by parents who didn’t understand, but now that most of us have kids of our own, Mom and Dad make a lot more sense, and we find ourselves repeating the same tried and true routines.
Discipline. Though the definition does encompass the punishment which initially comes to mind, the meaning in this verse is much broader and better. Since the root word is disciple or learner, it follows that discipline labels the category of all situations and experiences in which we learn more about ourselves and our God. And rarely are these times easy. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful”(Heb. 12:11).
The pain usually arrives in three ways. First, through the consequences of our own failures. The seeds of sin produce briars not blooms, and though God grace shields us from many well-deserved cuts and scratches, He often lets us feel the ache to teach us and to keep us from repeating our wrong. Occasionally our suffering comes from the choices of others. Their decisions cause distress as we are rejected, exploited, and disappointed. And sometimes God’s sovereignty allows sorrow and struggle which do not result from what someone has done but whose reason is what God is doing—in us and through us.
So how do we handle hurt and hard times?
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline”(Heb. 12:5). Don’t blow it off and treat it as nothing, for it really is something. Be serious about the situation and seek to learn all you can while living through it. On the other hand, “Do not lose heart when [God] rebukes you”(Heb. 12:5). Don’t let your grief get you down and make you think that you are no good and worth nothing, for the very fact that that you are suffering means that you are worth so much to Someone. “God is treating you as sons…because the Lord disciplines those he loves(Heb. 12:7,6). God loves you enough to let you feel the pain and sense the struggle—not because He is cruel or uncaring—but because the pain has a purpose. “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 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”(Heb. 12:10-11). God is fixing us for the future. The hardship you are enduring is making your heart more holy, your life more pure, and your spirit more peaceful. Through the pain, you learn of God’s unfailing love and unending grace, and when the next difficulty comes, you will have more faith to face it and more peace as you persevere.
Time-outs and tough times aren’t easy, but they’re effective. Let the pain remind you that you are loved by a God who is working for your good.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Fixed Gaze
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2
I admit without shame that I welcome distractions while running—anything to get my mind off the fact that the only thing pounding harder than my feet is my heart. Paying attention to fresh blooms in a nearby flower bed, concerned yelps from a neighbor’s dog, and friendly waves from passers-by are fine on days when I’m trotting around for fitness, but on the rare occasion I want to run fast, I must dismiss distractions and focus on the finish line.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” The trail of today is filled with much to see and do. Relationships and responsibilities call for our attention. Activities and amusements clamor for our affection. How can we prioritize properly and make sure we don’t miss our purpose? By fixing our eyes on Jesus. The faith in which we run has been fully laid out and lived out by Him. Jesus started our faith, and He saw it all the way through. He is “the author and the perfecter [completer] of our faith.” We’re not blazing a trail; we’re following the steps of a Savior who gave His all to get us on His team— “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God(Heb. 12:2).”
Only as we focus on Jesus can we clearly see the world around us. All will fall into appropriate place when we dismiss distractions and look to Him. His grace, love, goodness, and compassion captivate us, compel us, and remind us that our eyes are not fixed merely on a prize but on a Person. He is the perfect winner who waits at the finish line to welcome us with open arms and who also, by His Spirit, finds us on the course, comes along beside us, and encourages us in our daily trek.
Your feet may grow weary from pounding and your heart may grow tired from pumping, but don’t look around for something to distract you. Look ahead for Someone to delight you.
Have eyes only for Jesus.
I admit without shame that I welcome distractions while running—anything to get my mind off the fact that the only thing pounding harder than my feet is my heart. Paying attention to fresh blooms in a nearby flower bed, concerned yelps from a neighbor’s dog, and friendly waves from passers-by are fine on days when I’m trotting around for fitness, but on the rare occasion I want to run fast, I must dismiss distractions and focus on the finish line.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” The trail of today is filled with much to see and do. Relationships and responsibilities call for our attention. Activities and amusements clamor for our affection. How can we prioritize properly and make sure we don’t miss our purpose? By fixing our eyes on Jesus. The faith in which we run has been fully laid out and lived out by Him. Jesus started our faith, and He saw it all the way through. He is “the author and the perfecter [completer] of our faith.” We’re not blazing a trail; we’re following the steps of a Savior who gave His all to get us on His team— “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God(Heb. 12:2).”
Only as we focus on Jesus can we clearly see the world around us. All will fall into appropriate place when we dismiss distractions and look to Him. His grace, love, goodness, and compassion captivate us, compel us, and remind us that our eyes are not fixed merely on a prize but on a Person. He is the perfect winner who waits at the finish line to welcome us with open arms and who also, by His Spirit, finds us on the course, comes along beside us, and encourages us in our daily trek.
Your feet may grow weary from pounding and your heart may grow tired from pumping, but don’t look around for something to distract you. Look ahead for Someone to delight you.
Have eyes only for Jesus.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Free To Fly
“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1
The early air December air was cool—no, it was cold, but many layers kept me warm as I waited for the race to begin. At the sound of the gun I was off, and as the minutes and miles passed by, so were my extra clothes. The road behind me would have resembled a garage sale gone bad if my kind husband hadn’t slowed his pace to run beside me for support—and storage. I suppose I could have covered the distance carrying my excess equipment, but it would have weighed me down and slowed me down.
“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”(Hebrews 12:1). Whatever weighs you down, holds you back, and trips you up in the race of life needs to go. “Let us throw off everything that hinders,” our Hebrews track coach demands. “Everything” leaves no room for hanging onto anything which impedes your progress. Shame and regret from the past or anxiety and fear of the future all must go. Obsession with the temporary or desire for your own happiness over God’s holiness must also be discarded. Laziness, lack of discipline, and misplaced focus should be shed quickly and decisively.
Some things do more than slow us down; they trip us up. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” Once again our trainer chooses a word which encompasses an entire spectrum—this time of sin. Sin takes many forms and shows up in many ways, but at its root, sin is selfishness—choosing ourselves or someone else over God. Pride, lust, greed, rage, gossip, bitterness, envy, impatience, rudeness, unkind words, and an uncaring heart are just a few of the creeping vines we allow to wind around our ankles (and our attitudes). We might able to stumble forward as we drag them along, but we can never run until we clip, cut, yank, and pull—whatever it takes to entangle ourselves from our sin. By God’s Spirit and by His grace, we have the power to run free and fit.
God has a race marked out for each of His children, and He wants us to pass the mile markers of life at a good, strong pace. It’s time to strip down to the essentials of the Gospel—God’s amazing grace and His unfailing love—and be free to fly.
The early air December air was cool—no, it was cold, but many layers kept me warm as I waited for the race to begin. At the sound of the gun I was off, and as the minutes and miles passed by, so were my extra clothes. The road behind me would have resembled a garage sale gone bad if my kind husband hadn’t slowed his pace to run beside me for support—and storage. I suppose I could have covered the distance carrying my excess equipment, but it would have weighed me down and slowed me down.
“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”(Hebrews 12:1). Whatever weighs you down, holds you back, and trips you up in the race of life needs to go. “Let us throw off everything that hinders,” our Hebrews track coach demands. “Everything” leaves no room for hanging onto anything which impedes your progress. Shame and regret from the past or anxiety and fear of the future all must go. Obsession with the temporary or desire for your own happiness over God’s holiness must also be discarded. Laziness, lack of discipline, and misplaced focus should be shed quickly and decisively.
Some things do more than slow us down; they trip us up. “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” Once again our trainer chooses a word which encompasses an entire spectrum—this time of sin. Sin takes many forms and shows up in many ways, but at its root, sin is selfishness—choosing ourselves or someone else over God. Pride, lust, greed, rage, gossip, bitterness, envy, impatience, rudeness, unkind words, and an uncaring heart are just a few of the creeping vines we allow to wind around our ankles (and our attitudes). We might able to stumble forward as we drag them along, but we can never run until we clip, cut, yank, and pull—whatever it takes to entangle ourselves from our sin. By God’s Spirit and by His grace, we have the power to run free and fit.
God has a race marked out for each of His children, and He wants us to pass the mile markers of life at a good, strong pace. It’s time to strip down to the essentials of the Gospel—God’s amazing grace and His unfailing love—and be free to fly.
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