God as parent, part 2: relationship(s) with God, exposited

Welcome to the third post in the series Relationship(s) with God, Exposited and part two of the topic God as Parent; feel free to get caught up on part one. Once again, here's my disclaimer: I don't have any children, but I have closely observed parents (including my own) with the expectation of someday becoming one.

Back in part one, I gave an overview of the way God loves all His children by default and that His affections bubble over once we decide to become His spiritual offspring (through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ).  That piece ended with a nod towards discipline--the necessary evil of parenting--and that is the focus of this installment.  Just for clarity's sake, here's a thorough definition:

dis·ci·pline

[dis-uh-plin] noun; verb, dis·ci·plined, dis·ci·plin·ing.

1. training to act in accordance with rules; drill: military discipline.

2. activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training

3. punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.

4. the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc.: the harsh discipline of poverty.

5. behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control: good discipline in an army.

There are plenty of instances in the Bible where disciplining a child is prescribed as the remedy for a young life ending--or even beginning--in despair.  One of my grandmother's favorites when I was growing up was "Don't spare the rod and spoil the child". [Proverbs 23:13-14]  That verse implies corporal punishment, known locally as a "cut arse" [Caribbeanspeak for spanking], but we all know that discipline can be inflicted in MANY more ways than just physically.  In more general terms, we read that "The Lord chastens whom He loves" [Hebrews 12:6]  and there are several examples in the Bible where God did that in two ways: proactively and reactively.

Samson, of Old Testament fame, is one of the first names that comes to mind in the case of reactive discipline. He deliberately disobeyed God's assignment for his life and paid severe consequences for doing so: losing his blessing of supernatural strength, capture and blinding by the enemy, public humiliation, and untimely death. [Judges 16]   The next candidate in this category is Jonah and his disobedience, then punishment, of epic proportions. God sent him to warn a city of impending doom, but he wasn't havin' that and took off in the opposite direction... dude became dinner for a whale, then got puked up on a beach.  #NOTwinning [Jonah 1-2]  Luckily for him, his disciplinary action didn't result in death and he had enough sense to do what God sent him to do in the first place. [Jonah 3]

Proactive discipline is a bit more profound because we don't always understand the lesson we are supposed to learn during the process of said discipline.  Take King David, for example... he wasn't even legit as king until well into later in his life, even though he was anointed for the position as a youth.  Could you imagine what that felt like??  Basically, you're told that God chose you to run His nation--but not yet.  Just sit tight for a couple decades. Right.  So proactive discipline for David came in the form of patience and preparation. 

To pass the time until he could ascend the throne, young David was out in the pastures protecting his father's sheep from lions and bears. Little did he know that doing the 'dirty work' behind the scenes would catapult him to the forefront by killing a giant that punked trained warriors. [1 Samuel 17:34-37]  But it didn't end there because David then joined the army of the king; musta been really awkward working for the man you know you're going to replace, but he.o.e.n.o. (Yeah, I said it.)  It probably didn't dawn on him at the time, but enlisting to serve and then rising through the ranks to lead said army was essentially basic training in leadership.  Kinda useful if you're gonna run a whole country, no?  So by the time it was David's turn to wear the crown, he'd already been through "King 101" because God had orchestrated the events of his life to provide the discipline needed to be Israel's most noteworthy leader.  Checking for his general's wife, knocking her up, then having him whacked wasn't in God's syllabus, tho... that was definitely some extracurricular activity on David's part. Yeah...

The moral of the story is that discipline doesn't necessarily equal punishment, but God--like any other loving parent--won't hesitate to use punitive action to teach a serious lesson.  On the other hand, He wants His children to be prepared for the responsibilities that come with the blessings that He has for us.  So think of a teen itching to drive dad's car... Dad would be irresponsible, foolish or both to give junior the keys before making  sure that he's passed driving school and/or gotten his learner's permit.  But when Dad does hand over the keys, it's to a son who was trained on how to enjoy the blessing of a whip responsibly (we can hope).

So when we endure seemingly unfair punishment and wonder what we did wrong, keep in mind that God might just be inflicting a good dose of discipline for our benefit in the long run.  Yeah, just gotta love our Heavenly Father!

be blessed,
pVI

God as parent, part 1: relationship(s) with God, exposited

Here's the second installation in the series relationship(s) with God, exposited. Because there is so much ground to cover in a parent-child relationship, I'm gonna break this into parts so it won't get too lengthy. *DISCLAIMER*  I don't have any children, but I have closely observed parents (including my own) with the expectation of someday becoming one.

church = kissing: relationship(s) with God, exposited

This is my first 'unofficial' post in a series in which I'm trying to analyze a supernatural relationship through a natural perspective.  I'm not quite sure how this analogy came about, but I'm about to go in on it! [For my ramblings on not-so-holy kissing, see here. #shamelessplug]

Sooo yeah... This thought kinda randomly occurred to me the other day when I was thinking about.... kissing.  Yes--this saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost-filled, water-baptized woman thinks about kissing.  But before you start throwing shade my way, I haven't even gotten close to any lips for some years now (you read that correctly: YEARS).  So imagine even my surprise when associations began to form in my mind between locking lips and the Lord's house.  

I think it's safe to say that kissing is expected in a romantic relationship; it can also play a big role in other relationships, as well (i.e. parent-child). *Disclaimer* This assumption excludes 'courtships' in which the couple to be married chooses to abstain from all forms of physical affection until their wedding day.  But for the rest of us who aren't currently in or choose not to be in a "kiss-less courtship" when the time comes--I'm just keepin' it 100!--there is that unspoken presumption that, if nothing else, a couple will kiss each other in various ways to affirm their feelings for each other.  However, NOT kissing doesn't nullify a relationship but it is one of the best ways to foster endearment between people as they grow closer to each other.  In my humble estimation, going to church should be viewed the same way. How? I'm so glad you asked! *impish grin*

Kissing comes in various flavors and degrees of intensity: a quick peck on the cheek or forehead, a gentle pucker on the lips, and then, well... thank God for French ingenuity is all I'll say. ;o)  We can think of denominations of churches, or even "personalities" of congregations in similar fashion--each is unique in its expression but represents the same basic activity.

A kiss reaffirms the 'known' within a relationship.  Done regularly enough, it becomes a form of communication in which one person expresses familiarity, appreciation and good ol' love to the other.  Better yet, it can confirm the unknown; and by that, I'm referring to the classic first kiss; romantically speaking, of course.  For the most part, you don't know when, where or how it will happen, but you await in eager anticipation that it will. (or was that just me? *shrugs*)  The first kiss seals the deal and everything becomes official in some way because--assuming it was welcomed by both parties--what existed in the confines of your mind has taken on a tangible form.  

Now to bring things back around to church, the experience is a reaffirmation of your relationship with Jesus.  You've been spending time with Him on your own by reading the Bible and praying, so hearing the sermons and participating in praise and worship simply builds upon the foundation that you began laying for yourself.  If you've been going to church regularly for a while, it may become too comfortable because you feel that you know what to expect but this is where the 'first kiss' phenomenon kicks in.  Something in the middle of your church routine happens that catches you off-guard in a happy-smiley-fuzzy-bubbly-kinda way... A word from the pastor changes your entire perspective on a matter... The choir sings a song that you've heard a thousand times before in such a way that stirs your soul... Someone in the congregation shares a testimony that moves you to tears because you had no idea what they were going through as they sat in your row week after week.  Unlike with another person, 'first kisses' of the spiritual kind can/will happen many times over--they just feel new each time.

So what about that part when I said earlier that "NOT kissing doesn't nullify a relationship"?  I know you're already looking up that Scripture talking about "forsake not the assembling of the saints"; well, I got sumthin' for ya:

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

²⁴ And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another...

And if you wanna get really sanctified, we can take this back to the 10 Commandments and infer that God included a church-going clause when He said to the Israelites remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.  Reading both Scriptures word-for-word doesn't say anything specifically sinful about NOT going to church.  So that settles it--I can be a legit Christian without going to church, right?  "Church is just a religious institution created to suck up tithes/offerings and offer false hope to the masses!" or "My home is the church, my sofa is the pew, my TV is the pulpit, and [insert televangelist/mega-church pastor's name here] is my pastor."  Umm, naw... I didn't say that either.

One thing I will say is that--back to my original thesis--church is like kissing: you feel more in tune with your significant other the more you do it.  Along those same lines, sometimes you may do it [kissing, going to church, or both (hopefully not kissing IN church, tho!)] just because you love that special someone and not because you necessarily want to at that particular time.  But guess what: being in a relationship means that it's not all about you!!  This is especially true when you add an omnipotent, omniscient, omni-everything being to the mix.  But the good news is that He wants this relationship even more than you do. :o)  So close your eyes, pucker up, and make it hot!  ...oh yeah, and then go to church!

be blessed,
pVI