Discipline

I've been spending a lot of time in Hebrews 12 today,  where we are reminded that God disciplines those he loves, or loves those he disciplines.

Now, I have to be honest. Although I have been a Christian nearly all my life and I have  long understood the same God who so loved the world that he sent his only son, is the same God who allowed Job to be tormented by the devil. I've not found this picture of a loving but disciplinarian Father to be all that helpfull.
I have understood that his love is unquestionable,  even when we are going through the worst of times and that somehow,  in his mystery, he allows us to go through suffering because he wants us to grow. Because he loves us.

 

But here's the thing.  It always seemed a bit twisted to me.  Sadistic, almost. Not because I doubt his love, but because I doubt his method.

And I realised today why that was. It is my relationship with the word discipline. You see, where I read the word discipline, I heard 'punishment'. I've been to bible college.  I know this is not what is being spoken of, but subconsciously I don't think I have ever escaped the connotations of the word.

When I think discipline,  I think of the smacking and humiliation I received as a child.  The phrases that stick in my head are 'I'm doing this because I love you', 'this is hurting me more than it is you' and the all time classic,  'it's for your own good!'

I am not suggesting for a minute my father didn't love me. I am not attempting to set this out as a case against corporal punishment. It has its detractors but this is not the time and place for it. The problem is that for a child, its a very confusing message. I'm being hurt here but I'm being told that this is good, that this is love??

But the issue with this kind of discipline is that it is more of a punishment than it is anything else. It is retribution and penalty.  It seems, as I suppose all these things do, to act as a deterrent,  or like aversion therapy.

 

I guess I have never shaken those associations with the word discipline. Especially in terms of Gods discipline.

 

But if we take the word in another of its forms  'disciple' we have entirely different concepts to work with. Think of the way Jesus corrects his disciples, lovingly,  at times with humour.  Sometimes with  the stern rebuke. Yes.  But always with a tender tone. And disciples are there for one thing,  to learn.  And that is what is behind even my own childhood discipline.  My Father was not just disciplining me when he was punishing me. That was just one small part of the discipline he offered me. He discipled me when he taught me to mend a puncture or to solve a mathematical problem.  He discipled me when he showed kindness to my mother,  he discipled me when he prayed with me.  He discipled me through every part of life that he shared with me. This was discipline too. And he did it because he loved me. He wanted to equip me as best as he could to face the world as a godly man. And I respect him for it.

 

And so when I think of Heavenly Father disciplining me today, I see his tender love, his care for me. He is discipling me 'through' the hard times and suffering. He is teaching me, with me, by my side. He's not above, me, pouring out some kind of karmic retribution, hurting me for my own good. He disciples those he loves.

The Anchor and the Storm

Faithful one, so unchanging
Ageless one, you're my rock of peace
Lord of all I depend on you
I call out to you, again and again
I call out to you, again and again

During a worship song at church today, I had one of those moments, the ones where I had to share. I promised God, at the start of this year that I would be obedient to these when they come along. Sometimes I am waiting for the right moment, specifically hoping it will never come, so I don't have to put myself 'out there'. This was not one of those moments. I was nervous, as I always am, but I was certain that I was willing to bring it when the time came. However the right moment did not come. The song, which had inspired the word, drifted into a time of singing in the spirit and then, while I was waiting for it to die down enough to speak the musicians led us into another song.

 So I prayed about what to do with it, and then I thought, 'write it down'. I hope that this is why God didn't allow more space in the meeting at that exact moment. If he had allowed it, I never would have written it down and then you wouldn't be reading this. I hope you know that by me saying you, I mean someone who is meant to be reading this. And it may be that you were in that service and this is still for you. And even if its not specifically for you then it is, at least generally, still for you.

          You are my rock in times of trouble
you lift me up when I fall down
All through the storm
Your love is, the anchor
My hope is in You alone

 

 

 The song we were singing is 'Faithful one', A song that rarely fails to touch me as , for a season at least, it was one of my Mothers favourites. This time the line 'All through the storm your love is the anchor' really grabbed me. I am given to pondering on the imagery of the lyrics, during worship and so it was no surprise to me that I found myself imagining a diagram of an anchored ship, more particularly a sail ship. I saw a cut away sketch that revealed the ship sideways on and the anchor stretching below down to the sea bed.

Firstly the thing that struck me is that there must be some slack with an anchor. I am not remotely naughtical so I may be misinformed. However if the principle stands true for narrow boats then I presume it will for sea going vessels. If you moor your boat with a too taught rope and the water levels rise dramatically  then it will cause the boat to capsize because it is unable to rise with the levels.
So our anchor is. There must be movement. it may look from the surface as though we are drifting a little but we will never go further than the chain allows. If there is no slack, the anchor can work against us.

Secondly the slack that we have, during a storm would allow, to all intents and purposes, the impression to be given that we are at its mercy. The boat will still be tossed about, It will take a battering. But it will not drift further than the anchor allows.

Love is the anchor, within the imagery of this song. Not a harbour. Nor a port. Love is the anchor. We might prefer a harbour, safe and protected but, as wiser people have pointed out, a ship is not meant to be in a harbour. It is meant to be at sea. And you were not made to be in one place of safety for the rest of your days. You were made for voyages. Love is a security that you can take with you. It is a portable harbour.

I believe God wanted to say that despite appearances, out there on the high seas, if you're taking a battering, if you appear to be drifting, his love will not let you go. It holds you, unseen beneath the waves. You may only drift so far. All through the storm, his love is the anchor.

In our life group this past week we looked at a well known passage from scripture, Romans 8, which speaks about the unconquerable power of Gods love for us, that is in Christ;

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.~ v37-39

This anchor holds firm through EVERY storm, Christian. EVERY storm. If you drift, you never go beyond its reaches or ability to keep you. This is love that wilt not let you go.
If you are in the storm, take courage. If you are in the port, put out to sea. God made you to have the wind in your sails and air of freedom in your face.