Corrections and Coaches

My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline,
but don't be crushed by it either.
It's the child he loves that he disciplines;
the child he embraces, he also corrects.  (Hebrews 12:5-6 The Message)

How do we recognize God's corrections?  Sometimes for me, it's immediate and other times I need the advantage of hindsight to recognize God's re-direction or guidance.  The fruit of his discipline and correction, according to Hebrews, is "righteousness to those who have been trained by it."  Consider the rendering of Heb. 12: 9-11 by The Message:  While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best. At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God.  

So many times words like "training", "endurance", "running the race" are used to describe our Christian journey.  Sports analogies don't always work for me - not being particularly athletically inclined. But a recent conversation with a friend about her son has stayed with me and is, I think, a great "parable" for this passage. My friend's son is a terrific soccer player; he loves the game, the competition, the challenge. It appears he's also very team-minded and a good little sportsman. She mentioned how much he values a coach who is willing to fuss at them or yell at them if he needs to. Being perhaps a little too tenderhearted, I question this approach and wonder why coaches can't be warm, fuzzy, gentle and soft-spoken. However, my young friend knows that his coach is helping them dig deep, push hard and achieve more than they may have thought they could. This young soccer player is growing in his sport, being challenged and maturing as an athlete - becoming well-trained so that he can excel in the sport he loves. And isn't that the point of the scripture passage above? God, our Father, lovingly corrects and guides us - redirects us when we've stepped off the path of righteousness. He's maturing us in our faith, giving us the skills we need to run this race. And not just run the race, but finish the race well.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:12-14 ESV)  Or as The Messsage puts it:  So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity.

As my friend's son knows well, we're in this together.  We have a loving Father that corrects us when we need it, "coaches us" through this race and generously, lovingly, purposefully, and graciously empowers us to persevere.  And we have our community of faith - our "team" - to hold us accountable, support us, pray with and for us, and walk beside us as brothers and sisters of Christ.  

Overcome

In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.  John 16:33


In a recent conversation with someone very near and dear to me, the statement was made that sometimes it seems like the darkness is winning.  What does it look like to live through dark days in the truth of Jesus' words above?  The key word in that last sentence is through.  We get through it - we're not undone, not defeated when we hold on to Jesus.  No, correct that -- Jesus is holding on to us.  Even when we're not aware of it, he's there and he never lets us go.  No one or nothing can snatch us from his hand.  Too often - way too often - I act as if it's my job to grab hold of Jesus when he's already there holding me up, strengthening me and enabling me to carry on.


We may suffer "battle fatigue" as we go through dark, difficult times.  We may feel battered by the storms. But Jesus is so near to us, aware of our wounds from the battle, tending to us, ministering to us, and lifting our heavy burdens.  I'm reminded of the old hymn, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".  You can find the lyrics here but remind yourself of some of the truths within this hymn:  
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness, take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden, cumbered with a load of care?  Precious Savior, still our refuge - take it to the Lord in prayer.

Blessed Savior, thou hast promised thou wilt all our burdens bear; may we ever, Lord be bringing all to thee in earnest prayer.

My friends, the reality of who Jesus is, how he loves us, what he does for us and how near and present he is to us is a reality that I pray you will come to see and know more and more.  Pray for the eyes of your heart to be opened.  Ask him to make his love real to you, to make his presence known to you.  Where you have doubts, ask Jesus.  I can tell you from my own experiences, it's a prayer he loves to answer.  He has overcome the world.  The darkness cannot, has not and will not overcome the Light of the world - our Lord Jesus.

Our Father

Hebrews 4:16  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.


Grace.  Mercy.  Help.  It's too bad we can't see in the natural what's going on in the spiritual when we pray.  If we could actually see the throne of grace as we drew nearer, how our hearts would be changed!  In the presence of the glory and majesty of God our Father, in his throne room, we can stand with boldness and confidence and courage.  We can stand in the knowledge that we are welcomed, embraced and loved.  Our Abba is waiting lovingly for us to draw near.  God, the Creator of the universe, is our Abba - our Papa; we are children of the living God who, like all loving fathers, deeply desires for his children to spend time with him.  He wants to hear what's on our hearts, our worries and fears, our problems, the thing we've done wrong and the help we need to keep from further wrongs. Furthermore, in Hebrews we are told of the awesome gift we have through Jesus: Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb. 7:25)

I am blessed to have very dear friends who are mighty prayer warriors.  I can recall many times when I've called asking for prayer and they'd already been interceding.  The Holy Spirit had whispered to their hearts that a friend was in need; my faithful sisters had been praying.  That's the gift we have in and through Jesus.  Jesus sees clearly, knows all things, is working his purposes and plans in our life and is interceding in and with his holy, omniscient, perfect love.


This is the throne of grace to which we draw near.  We find mercy.  We experience God's grace.  We receive his help in our time of need.  Again and again.  God's mercies are new every morning; great is his faithfulness!  Great is his love!  We can be bold and confident as we approach God's throne because he is so loving.  He IS love - pure, perfect, holy love.  There is no fear in the presence of God's love, no condemnation, no shame.  Even - especially - in our sinfulness, we can stand in the presence of LOVE and find mercy, forgiveness, healing and grace.


Yesterday was Father's Day.  we celebrated and remembered the fathers or father-figures in our life.  In thinking about the love of our earthly fathers, let's look to our heavenly Father, whose love knows no bounds, is perfect, without sin or favoritism, and is eternal. Our loving earthly fathers are (were) flawed but we can allow their love to point to the One who is perfect. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11)


Bring your worries, cares, anxieties, sins, questions - your deepest heart's desires - and go boldly into the presence of your Abba. Sit with him, open your heart. He hears, he loves, he is merciful and good.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.  (Ephesians 3:20-21)