Love in unexpected places. These past few weeks as Audrey has taught from 1 John a continual theme has been God’s great love for us, and how we are to show that same depth and kind of love to one another. It has been a love that is ‘easy’ to model in its kind but not always easy because we are human and selfish. This week we will look at a different kind of love. We will look at teaching on love, but love found in unexpected places. These are not so much encounters as exhortations or teachings on what love is; teachings that are a bit foreign to our way of thinking and maybe, just maybe, not always seen as love.
As we walk through life in a world filled with unbelievers we often are asked questions that make sense. How can a loving God allow suffering in the world? Why wouldn’t God stop that plane from crashing? You say that you love, and yet your actions are harsh and judgemental. Understanding the fullness of God involves the whole picture. I could share a recipe with you that contains vinegar, and your first reaction could be, “Ew! No thank you. I hate vinegar on my French fries!” And yet, some of the best spinach/strawberry salads have balsamic vinegar in them and some high-end restaurants in Paris have won awards for their pairing of vinegar with dark chocolate. Who would have thought?
To answer some of life’s tough questions we must first have a recipe or framework for understanding God. You cannot teach why there is evil in this world if you do not understand sovereignty, free will, holiness or even love from God’s perspective. So, lets’ take a hard look at love in unexpected places and see what we can learn. Today we start with this simple verse:
‘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.’ (Hebrews 12:5-6)
This is a hard teaching. It gets worse because it starts with ‘don’t forget this word of encouragement!’ I don’t know about you but I don’t often see rebuking or discipline as the best way to make me feel encouraged! In fact, it often leaves me feeling unworthy, rejected and hurt. But Scripture interprets Scripture and the writer of Hebrews goes on to tell us more.
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11)
Love in an unexpected place. Love in discipline and rebuking (those are the Bible’s words, not mine!) We have all been in a restaurant where a child is loud and unruly and the parents think it is funny. And we have all thought, “What that child needs is a little bit of discipline.” How much more when it is our perfect, loving, kind heavenly Father who says, “Wendy, enough of that,” or “You need to make that right. Go and apologize.” God disciplines and rebukes us because He loves us. So, the next time you feel told off by God, remember that He is only discipling you because He desires to mature your character and make you the best you that you can be. In fact, in His words (above) discipline and rebuke leads to life, holiness, righteousness and peace. Hebrews 12 ends with, “Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”
God disciplines and rebukes because He loves us. May we learn to see His kind redirecting as His love for us as His children.
Our song for today is The God Who Stays by Matthew West.
Leave a Reply