Colossians 2:8-3:11; Jeremiah 31:18-24; Luke
I thank God that though God has created me with a memory of things good and evil, of my shame and errors, this memory is for my good and for my hope. Jeremiah reminds me that discipline for sin is part of God's love and care, though it is painful and embarrassing. It causes me to give up my convictions and passions and I don't like that. Yet the discipline changes me if I allow it to - it forges a new self - and I need only look back to see the crooked path I once led, and remember I am on a new one.
The new path is with Jesus - who has restored me when I did not deserve to be restored. But he heard my cries of regret and repentance - muffled often with all kinds of justifications and rationalizations and human longings and desires. He saw my stubborn heart and found me in my pride, and hauled me out of the ditch anyway. He sees our faith when no one else can. He knows what to make of it, when we don't. Like for the Centurion, Jesus healed his slave, not because he was a believer following all the rules of faith, but because he knew Jesus was the only one who could save his slave, and so he called on him. Jesus will heal and save whom Jesus wants. Radical love, which now he has called me to consider in my new life. Radical love, that sets aside the legalism and rules and judgment that once were important and opens the way for all people to come to Christ and be healed.
Paul calls us to put away earthly things that get in the way of this relationship with Jesus and with others, that conflict with the character of God. He writes about the religious rules, 2All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. 23These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence. Now that's interesting to me. He seems to be saying, keep the rules that lead to self-control and that keep us from being so self-absorbed, selfish and preoccupied with self-gratification.
For he goes on, 5Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.
Looking back, God has given me a perspective on my self-indulgent ways and continues to govern me in them. I need to be reminded of where I've come, and where God wants me to go and be. I pray we as a church will have the boldness and obedience to do the same when it comes to matters of behavior toward one another, sexual purity, peace with our neighbors, justice, and unity in the things that matter to God - not just to us. I will continue to be open to God's discipline, so that I will grow day by day in my new self, for God's glory - not mine.
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For me discipline comes as I read scripture that exhorts me to worship and praise my Redeemer, to trust in his goodness. Discipline comes as I have to live with the consequences of my bad decisions. It also comes as unconditional love from people in my life who will not let me stay stuck. It comes as words from a friend that not only encourages but also admonishes me to lift up my eyes and see life is larger than me, much larger.
God’s discipline helps me see that he is much larger than I sometimes see him. In my humanness, I often limit God, forgetting that the One who is the creator of the universe and everything in it can move mountains with just a word. His discipline may let me sit in a place that is not good for me until it hurts too much and I cry out for him. It’s then that I am able to see clearly and realize I have indeed come a long way from where I once was. That my brief sojourn into a world of my own making is just a stumble on the path that is leading me closer to him one step at a time.
I know he loves me and understands that I sometimes cannot help ending up in places that are painful because of things I cannot control, but his grace-filled discipline is shown in his helping me learn to cope and learn strategies to deal with my sometimes out of control emotions in healthy ways that will lead to growth. I know he wants the best for me so that I can live a life that makes a difference in this world, this life that is larger than me. He wants to be able to say, “Well done.” He wants me to hear those words. I want that too.
My God who is immense beyond understanding will not allow me to stay stuck. He wills to transform me, so that I can be an agent of his grace to others, whatever that may look like. His discipline is part of that process. As it is written in Hebrews, his discipline is for our good. I will not shun it. I will accept it knowing I will grow because of it.
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