Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Thessalonians 5:23

As I sit down to write, there are stain and varnish fumes invading the main level of our home and a jackhammer running in the basement in an effort to improve our property.  We purchased this house at the end of September.  It is now nearing the end of January and despite a significant number of improvements already completed, there is still much work to do.  It’s been a long and frustrating process.  Repeatedly I find myself anxious and overwhelmed by the long list of repairs, the improvements needed, and the cost to complete them.  However, in my frustration, I also see parallels between our house and my soul.  More specifically, I’m referring to the vision, the challenges, the cost, and the anxiety associated with any spiritual improvement.

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It’s been a hectic week so I’ve dusted off and tweaked an older post on a topic that is dear to me…especially as a grandfather.

Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.  Proverbs 22:6

Both of my grandfathers were excellent carpenters.  My paternal grandfather made furniture with his brother-in-law while my maternal grandfather made several pieces for our family.  But their skills were not limited to furniture.  Similarly, my father was and my uncle is skilled in carpentry, masonry, electrical work, etc.  Having grown up on a farm, their skills needed to have a broad spectrum.  Sadly, neither my brothers nor I are particularly well trained in those areas.  Certainly, we can all swing a hammer or use a screwdriver, but the level of expertise is greatly diminished.  We grew up in a different era and circumstance which did not make those talents as necessary.  Consequently, our father didn’t feel the same need to train us as his father did.  As a result, the knowledge did not get passed from one generation to the other.   Living with chronic illness requires a special skill set, especially in the spiritual and psychological areas.  It is our trust in God that allows us to live well and the lack of it which causes us to falter.   Whether or not we have children of our own, there will be children (whether infants or grown adults)  in our sphere of influence that we will impact positively or negatively depending on how we face our illness and/or the trials that arise during the course of our lives.

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Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.  For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion.  But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.   Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

A few weeks ago, I took my wife’s car in for service.  While working on it, they found that three of the light bulbs were out and asked if I wanted them to replace them.  After a brief discussion, I decided to try to save some money and do it myself.  While simple enough for many, it was not that for me.  As is the case with many of us with chronic illness, I had to mentally gear up for something new, get the parts and then have the energy to attack the project.  Knowing my limitations, I searched for and reviewed a few “how to” videos.  The light bulb over the license plate didn’t go quite as instructed or planned but I managed to get it replaced after a fair amount of effort.  However, the rear side marker lights didn’t fare so well.  There were two clips holding the trunk liner in place that I could not get out.  Thankfully, the next day our son-in-law Corey figured it out and showed me the error of my ways allowing me to complete the task.  Without his counsel, I was failing, but with his counsel I succeeded.  In this case, the situation was rather benign; however, often times counsel is needed in more difficult circumstances.  If we are to be a helpful and encouraging companion, we need to be discerning in our approach to counsel. 

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He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understanding. Proverbs 15:32

During my recent drive to New England and back, I was rounding a curve in the road using the passing lane.  A semi in the right lane put on their turn signal and proceeded to cut me off.  I was a bit irritated until a few moments later I saw that there was another vehicle in the breakdown lane.  The curve in the road blocked our view until the last moment.  The vision of the car seemed to be God’s way of adjusting my attitude about the driving of others.  Granted, I was a bit road weary and tired of being cut off by vehicles significantly exceeding the average speed of traffic.  However, in this case, I had made assumptions with limited information and errantly responded accordingly.

Discipline, rebuke, correction, constructive criticism, punishment, etc. are words that usually make us uncomfortable because the remind us of our fallibility and sinful nature.  Another challenge is that the person seeking to change our behavior is also fallible.   Consequently, the nature of our relationship usually determines how well we listen and whether or not we modify our conduct.  How we respond will also have an impact on that relationship.  The same is true of our bond with our Heavenly Father.  When He chooses to discipline us, we need to refrain from judgments about His goodness and love that undermine our relationship as we have very limited information.  Rather we ought to accept His guidance gladly by focusing on His motivation, goal and character.

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Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.  Proverbs 23:19

I have just returned from a trip that included driving 2,000 miles.  I was a bit apprehensive about the traveling that far alone as I didn’t really feel well.  This was compounded by the fact that recently Satan seems to be raising many doubts and fears.  However, as I look back, not only did God sustain and protect me, but He was also speaking to me.  Throughout the trip, He was working to reshape my thinking through instruction, discipline and reassurance.  The elements were all there, I just had to listen.  Most certainly I heard and understood the messages provided through the sermons that I listened to while driving; however, it took a near accident at the end of the trip to really get me to notice how much God had been speaking to me throughout my travels.  Honestly, I’m not sure I have gotten it all, however, over the next three posts I’d like to share how God used each of these to mature me in my faith.

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