Hebrews 12.5-6 5 And
have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as
a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s
discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord
disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
I am an American. I live in a culture that seems to stress over health and fitness.
You talk to the average American and he believes he is not in the best shape
and could lose weight. Depending on who you talk to, depends on how they feel,
but my experience is most of us believe we could stand more exercise, better
eating, and we believe that our lives would somehow improve if we were just in
better shape.
I’m not sure we know what we’re saying when we say we
wish we were in better shape, but I think I know what we mean: we wish we could
find the discipline to make ourselves feel better about our pathetic physical
selves so that when we watch the Bowflex®
commercials, we don’t feel so guilty about Jillian Michaels’ drill sergeant-like,
get-your-a**-going, attitude. Hold my beer, I’ll just change the channel…
The writer of Hebrews, quoting Proverbs 3, said: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s
discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord
disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
I thought about the taking lightly
and wondered what that might mean and then I read: “…and don not lose heart…
Now I know what he meant: Discipline is hard work.
And necessary work.
The discipline of the Lord is not dressed up in some
tight-fitting workout outfit with a moderately attractive drill sergeant, dripping
with sweaty sexuality, barking at us. The discipline of the Lord is love at its
purest and finest; the pinnacle of divine intervention.
To make light of the Lord’s discipline, is to belittle
it, shun it, or avert our eyes from it. To lose heart, is to take God’s
discipline as His invasive forcing of us to do what we don’t want to do; or His
taking from us something that which we don’t want to give. The Lord’s
discipline is anything but.
It is true that God wants to train us. That doesn’t mean
we’re pathetic (we are far worse than that), it does mean, however, that God
will work with us if we’ll allow Him; and His work with us requires a good,
willing, and cooperative attitude with Him in His work with us. Slackers need
not apply.
The Almighty thinks very highly of us and expects us to
do the same with Him, and ourselves –
especially when we begin to see His purpose in, for, and through us. God’s
purposes for us require a commitment from us that makes Jillian look pushy and
pathetic. She’s selling a product – God is giving life eternal. It takes discipline
to receive God’s life – His life is infinitely different than we know.
Father, work in me
to help me to get what You are doing in me. David prayed: “…what is mankind
that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” We are, I
am, a whole bunch more that we/I realize. Work in me whatever it takes to help
me to get it. May Your will be done in my life, and may my attitude about it be
happy, willing, and cooperative – amen
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