He was a disciplinarian and devout Christian.
Devotion
May 2003
He was a disciplinarian and a devout Christian. Neither trait opened any doors.
Now that is an awful thing to say about someone who is a Christian, isn’t it? In fact, putting those two things together seems wrong unless your view of God is that of a disciplinarian. What does God look like? Think about it. Most of us have some sort of ‘picture’ of God in our minds. Our attempt to understand Him. What does he look like to you?
A kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s artwork. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, “I’m drawing God.”
The teacher paused and said, “but no one knows what God looks like.”
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, “They will in a minute.”
Father
Grandfather
Husband
Lover
Boss
Teacher
Comforter
King
Strong
Cruel
Loving
All of these words have been used to describe God and if we get the gender thing out of the way, we could include mother, sister, grandmother. Doesn’t God look like them too? Aren’t we all created in God’s image. I don’t want to carry that idea too far but you are starting to see what I mean.
But isn’t God’s desire to be approachable? He sent his son to take the punishment for us so we could have a relationship with him, didn’t He? If he didn’t want to have a relationship with us, why would he do that? We have talked before about the Garden of Eden and God coming to walk in the cool of the evening to talk to man.
I can talk about walking to have a relationship. Susan and I have been doing some walking together. My legs still hurt a little but our relationship is better because of the time spent. That is what God wants. A better relationship. A relationship with His children. All His children. He is giving us the chance to help build that relationship with some of His children that ride bikes. Bikers. What is a biker that God is mindful of him.
Psalm 8:3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! 9:1 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
Now how can we have a relationship with God’s children if we are not approachable. He was a disciplinarian and a devout Christian. Neither trait opened any doors. We are not to be like that, are we?
So how do we handle the relationships God gives us to nurture, cultivate and tend? First of all, work on your relationship with the Father. If you have that as a starting place, you have already won. The love and forgiveness that we have received from God will just naturally spill out of our hearts and into the lives of those around us. Second, do the things that show how much you care about the lost. Pray for them. Listen to them when you are together. Do not talk about yourself. Talk about Christ who lives in you.
At church Friday night I heard this quote from John Wesley, “I spend time daily with the Word of God to ignite the fire within me, then people just come to watch me burn.” That says a lot, doesn’t it?
Are you on fire? Do people want to see you burn? I believe that they do and that is what makes us attractive to the world. We are light shining in the darkness and heat in the middle of a cold land and we do it because of the One who has saved us.
Burn on, Brothers. Burn on, Sisters. Burn on.
In His Grip,
Jerry Robertson
Chaplain