So You Won't Have To Be Punished Later

i’m sure you’ve all heard the term “God’ll Getcha”. While i do know that God does have to discipline us sometimes, i don’t like the intonation that He is a punisher or heavy-handed villian. He is fair and just, and i think He tries everything He can to get our attention before doling out any hard core deals. So today, as we were sitting around talking about things… my sister and nephews and i got on the topic of discipline, and somehow, somewhere these wonderful and surprisingly wise words came out of my mouth. (i hope to use them again for A1) “As adults, we try to help you learn to do what is right, so that when you’re older, you don’t have to learn it the hard way. We discipline you, so God doesn’t have to.”
Ooooohhhhhh Buddy! So there we were, sitting at the table, trying to explain discipline/punishment and love to children. All the “what-ifs” and “how-’bouts”… there just isn’t a short or easy answer. We do things. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes without thinking. Sometimes we’re rebellious, sometimes we’re selfish. Whatever the reason, sin happens. Not that it should be taken lightly, but it’s no surprise to God. He knew it, He expected it. Darn humans. Imperfect. No, not God. He says, “Beloved Children. I want them. Those broken ones. Down there. Let Me send My Son.” When we’re saved and we sin again, He doesn’t give up on us, deny us, or turn us in to the cops. He handles us with care. “Come here little one. Tell me what happened. Why would you do that? Are you sorry? Okay, let’s fix it. Dust off and don’t do it again. Turn around and go back to the place where you got off track. Start again.”
Last week one of my family members was driving to a place she had never been. On a road she was frightened of taking. With traffic flying by at over 70 MPH, she tried to merge, but the flow just kept pushing against her. No place to sneak in. No friendly motorist slowing down with courtesy. Everyone in a hurry to get to their “nowhere”. And so she sat on the side of the road, wondering how she would get to the place she needed to go, how would she be able to navigate this bustling pipeline of cars? And then once she got on the pipeline, how would she know where to jump off, to make it to her destination? “There’s always another exit.” i assured her. Just like with God. When we drive past our off-ramp, or speed through our exit, there’s another exit on down the road, and you just get off that exit and turn around and go back to where you need to be. And i felt for her. i truly did. As she sat there, worried and wondering, voice quivering, i felt so sad and scared. If i could have jumped in my car, i would have driven to who-knows-where she was and rescue her. If i could have, i would have started her day over, and driven her to her destination to save her all the frustration and aggrivation. It hurt me to watch her go through that. It stunk to be sitting in my chair, knowing the road she was on, knowing where the exit was, and knowing that it was just a little bit further up the road. It hurt to know that, and yet not be able to coax her back onto the road. God must be in that chair sometimes too. Knowing where we are, and also knowing that the place we need to be is just a little bit further up the road. If we would just jump on the pipeline and start going, we can get there. If we just trust Him, He’ll guide us. Whether it be from sin and destruction or through years and years of waiting. No matter what the highway looks like, He can get us where we’re going. He knows where our exits are. He knows when we need to merge, and when we are pulled over on the side of the road, He’s there with us.
I’ve made it through some stuff. My parents had to discipline me so that God didn’t have to. Of course, i am still human, and i still sin and make mistakes. Because of that early discipline, i learned to understand that it’s not fun to dole out discipline or to be disciplined, but it’s necessary, and wise is the person who accepts instruction. Gratitude to my parents for leading the way. Gratitude to my friends for slowing down long enough to remind me that i need to be on the pipeline. Gratitude to God for caring enough to guide me back to where i need to be. So i won’t have to be punished later.