January 2011

A revelation of discipline and love

“The Lord disciplines those He loves.” Hebrews 12:6

Most people do not like the word discipline. It typically carries with it a negative connotation when it represents the imposition of someone else’s will upon ours. By nature we love our independent self-willed ways. All of us were first introduced to discipline through various methods of parental discipline and then later learned more about discipline in kindergarten and elementary school. For most it was a mixture of good and bad experiences. Sadly for some it was all bad.

Years ago we were counseling with a woman who had been raised in an abusive, authoritarian environment. The enforcement of discipline in her life had been harsh and unloving, inconsistent and often unjust. Having become a Christian in her early twenties she was struggling greatly with the whole concept of God’s discipline in our lives.

I will never forget our meeting with her when the Lord graciously opened her mind and heart to see that His discipline is equated with His love. As we were praying for her, the Lord began to heal her of all the bitter past experiences of ungodly discipline. And then suddenly she erupted with joy and laughter. The divine revelation of God’s love had permeated her being and she saw for the first time that His discipline in her life was the seal of His love for her. Oh the joy!

One of the misbeliefs that the young woman had about discipline is that she equated it solely with punishment. But in an instant she saw that God’s discipline is much more than the meting out of consequences for misbehavior. She realized that it is the transformational process that God uses to fashion His children into the image and like-ness of Jesus His son. (Colossians 1:28 & Hebrews 12:10) Correction is just one aspect of God’s involvement in producing righteousness in our lives.

Divine discipline is best characterized by the word discipleship.

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The prayer antidote for anxiety

The high-stress, fast-paced lifestyle in which we live is the source of many forms of anxiety. In today’s world, finding rest for the soul is a premium pursuit. My very informal survey has revealed that there are at least twelve categories of things that cause anxiety and keep people awake at night. I formulated the list by looking at a variety of websites conveying research and discussions related to causes of insomnia. For simplicity’s sake I chose not to include physical, medical or dietary reasons for sleeplessness on the list.

In the process of analyzing the causes of anxiety and looking for antidotes I made an amazing discovery. There is actually one prayer in the Bible that addresses every single aspect of these anxiety producing thoughts and fears.

It is God’s prescriptive cure summed up in just five simple verses. Fittingly, it comes from the teaching of Jesus who is the only one who can ultimately give us rest for our souls. The prescription for anxiety induced insomnia is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray which we call the Lord’s Prayer. It is found in Matthew 11:9-13.

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What keeps you awake at night?

What keeps you awake at night? The answer to that question could be a key to unlocking a new found freedom in your life. It gets to the very heart of where you struggle the most in trusting God. Carefully considering that question is like taking a diagnostic test, it reveals your growing edge of faith.

I recently spent an evening doing an informal poll of as many websites as I could find that provided lists and discussions addressing that insomnia related question. The following list of twelve categories is a compilation and condensation of all the things people admitted were keeping them awake. For simplicity’s sake I have not included dietary (food and caffeine) or medical reasons for sleeplessness.

As you read through the list, which ones can you admit are things that keep you awake?

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Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. Ecclesiastes 11:1

What does this phrase “cast your bread upon the waters” really mean? It is basically a call to put your faith in action. It is a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” kind of challenge. It bids us to take a risk and relinquish control of something that is precious and essential to our existence in hopes that something even better will return.

There are three common interpretations of this scripture verse. The most accepted interpretation among many Bible scholars is that it refers to helping the poor. The verse is viewed as an encouragement to provide bread to those who have none. Proverbs 19:17 says “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will reward him for what he has done.” (NIV)

Another interpretation is that this verse was applied to the practice of planting on flooded fields. In biblical times when the Jordan River would overflow its banks, farmers were known to go out in a boat and actually sow their seed right on the water. They did this believing that the seed would sink to the bottom and eventually be covered with the fine silt left by the receding flood waters. That would serve as rich soil in which to grow an abundant harvest. Of course it took tremendous faith on the farmer’s part to sow in such adverse conditions. But he took the risk because of the rich return he hoped to gain.

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No ones gift should be homeless

A homeless man from Columbus, Ohio, became an overnight sensation this week when a YouTube video of him went viral. He is 53 year old Ted Williams who has been living on the street for 17 years. He was video taped by a news paper reporter as he stood at a freeway access holding a sign that read:

“I have a God given gift of voice. I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times. Please! Any help will be greatfully (sp) appreciated J Thank you and God bless you. Happy Holidays.”

Before this video hundreds of people drove by him every day but never took his gift seriously. “I drive by this guy every day. . . my mind is blown. . . I’ve seen this guy!” one person writes. Another said “I saw him on the corner two weeks ago! . . . but I was scared . . . lol . . .should have stopped.” Needless to say he is no longer on that corner. Yesterday he was in New York City announcing the intro to NBC’s Today program and being interviewed by their entire crew. Job offers are flooding in.

This feel-good story of the year is full of lessons and illustrations. It is literally a rags to riches story. It is a story of faith and second-chance redemption. It is a story of reconciliation. It gives us insight into the plight of the homeless. It teaches us again, so poignantly, that we cannot judge a person by appearances. It underscores the destructiveness of drug and alcohol addiction. We can learn a lot from this story.

But what impacts me most about this turn-around story is the release of a God-given gift. In reality, Ted’s redemption happened because he came to a reckoning with God about the talent he had been given.

He recognized what a gift he had, acknowledged God as the giver and sought to re-engage it in serving humanity.

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