THANK YOU SIR! MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?

At this time of graduations and school finishing I was reminded of a grad ceremony that I was at a number of years ago. It was a normal grad banquet where each individual graduate took turns giving speeches and telling the proud parents and friends of their reflections on the past and their plans for the future.

Into this scene of tuxes and gowns stood a young man named Gideon. And like his biblical counterpart this young man was about to stand out from his peers and say something that rocked his friends and all who were listening.

Well… he said… his voice hesitating on every word, I would first like to thank the Lord for his kindness to me.” We all smiled as we listened once again to the same words that we knew every graduate would say. Then Gideon said something that surprised us all. This 18 year old high school graduate said, “I would like to thank my parents for spanking the daylights out of me when I needed it.”

Laughter broke out throughout the room as we could not believe what this young man was saying. Thanking them for spanking him? It is impossible to look cool and thank your parents for a spanking you! But he was very serious. He was thankful for the discipline his parents has given him. Wow! I was amazed!

So are we? Are we thankful for those times when God disciplines us with the straight hardness of the rod rather than the soft curve of the staff? Are we thankful when we are taken out behind the woodshed and taught the lessons of life? So many of us no longer really understand the principles that are laid out so well in scripture. We would rather choose to avoid the pain and the deep lessons that God intends to teach us. Maybe as we walk toward this father’s day we will once again be reminded about the love that our father has for us even when he appears to be interested in nothing but disciple…

Hebrews 12:7-11
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 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 our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, 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.