Taking A Lickin'

pastor’s heart article from ggwo.org

Taking a Lickin’ by Pastor Thomas Schaller January 22, 2007 edited

Recently, while flying to Peru, I reflected on this Proverb: "He who spares his rod hates his son but he who loves him disciplines him diligently" (Proverbs 13:24). Would it be wrong for God to discipline us, if He tells us to do so with our own children? The danger of any discipline is the possibility of a seed of bitterness growing up in our hearts. I've met people who have turned away from God because of how they feel about how they have been treated. Hebrews 3 warns us "Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil unbelieving heart in falling away from the living God"(Hebrews 3:12). Could we say that the believer's humility and walk of faith is tested when we are dealt the rod? In Hebrews 12, we read, "All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble and make straight paths for your feet so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed," (Hebrews 12:12-13). We are living in an age and culture where it is not positive to talk about "taking a lickin'" in life. Life should be positive, successful, and happy. This reminds me of the 400 false prophets who told Ahab what he wanted to hear. I'd rather search for the Elijah or the Paul who lives a high quality life. Living high quality life teaches us that "beatings" are a normal part of successful living. These are not physical beatings, but rather "searchings of the heart." We may feel confused, ashamed, or guilty. We may fail in the presence of our brothers. We may be ridiculed, derided, mocked, laughed at, teased, taunted, scorned, publicly embarrassed, or found hopeless and helpless. We may be poor, abused, physically hurt and have no permanent address (no certain dwelling place), but consider Psalm 141:5: "Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head."

pastor’s heart article from ggwo.org Why wouldn't we learn to be admonished by the Scriptures, by the Word, by the Message, by our brothers in Christ? Wouldn't we rather take a lickin' and learn Christ in this world, so we glorify our heavenly Father very much? We do our churches a disservice if we do not lead our people into the deep waters of suffering well. How can I help others to suffer well if I myself have not found the preciousness of that in my own heart? It is frightening when we as pastors and believers can no longer take admonition, when we no longer continue in the face of opposition or difficulty. Many of our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries show us how to take a lickin'. It would be ridiculous to think that the church isn't to have any fight in it -- no contention, no correction, no rod, no Elijah, no David, or no Paul. Ask any NFL player going to playoffs if beatings and lickin's are not part of the path to success. If Einstein, Microsoft, the New York Stock Exchange were always right and never corrected, confronted, and readjusted, then would they in the real world mean anything? Let the Lord shame us and drag us before the magistrates. Let the Lord call us to the foolishness of preaching and the foolishness of the Cross. If we can take a lickin', then the Holy Spirit will show us His power and His healing. Pulpits grounded in knowing Christ in the midst of deep trouble manifest the power of God. God is on the side of the afflicted - God gives an answer when we don't know how to answer. There is a great mystery in all of this. May we always and continually love to see His work and His hand when we are afflicted. "He hath torn and He will heal us, He hath smitten and He will bind us up" (Hosea 6:2). A trained ear can bear the testimony of these people who have learned the secret of taking a lickin' from our Heavenly Father. Yes, Lord, please lead us in this marvelous mystery of grace. Pastor Schaller