Diss - A - Plin

God always has lessons for us. Yesterday in church the all wise oracle (Orin Borgelt) said something to the effect of "when God has a lesson for us he usually wraps it in a problem and if it is a big lesson it is wrapped in a big problem." I like that thought, it certainly echoes Paul's notion in Philippians when he was suggesting to rejoice in everything and especially in the "problems". Well i know that God has been teaching me some very necessary lessons lately, and it is actually not because I see this problem facing me, but it is because of increased responsibility and strategies and disciplines I am being forced to establish. Yes, forced.
My wife and I have been so blessed since moving back to Olathe, and it has been so wonderful. We really lucked out and got into an awesome house when we shouldn't have been able to do so, and since we got this house in a not so great financial position, we are now being told that we need to establish a very strict budget and account for all of our spending and prove that our financial position is consistently improving. Wow! It is difficult to do that and I really appreciate Orin's sermon series at just the right time and trying to execute something like that really makes me admire someone like him. So God is forcing me to learn a great deal of financial discipline in order to pull this thing off.
I am also being forced to learn new disciplines at work. I got a promotion, which is awesome! I have only been at this job for three months and technically am still in a probationary period, but that said that they have been so impressed with my work that they want promote we to a supervisor, even though there are people who have been there for years and years, some more than a decade, who have been waiting and working for this promotion. That was undoubtedly the favor of God in my life. Praise God. With this position though comes some serious responsibilities. I am kinda nervous and excited at the same time.
Now the most difficult thing is being a bachelor again for a while. My wife and my daughter went on vacation to stay with my family for a while. (isn't that awesome that my family is strong enough and close enough that my wife goes and stays with her in-laws without me. I wish i could be there too, but that is life sometimes.) Whenever my wife goes away for a period of time i am tempted to be a bum for a while. Just spend $$$ and play video games and get out of my routine. Today God convicted me about that, telling me to be a disciplined person and stick to a routine, maybe be even more strict about it.

The really cool things about discipline and learning discipline is that be learning discipline we are assured that we will be better people and be in a better situation later down the road in life as a result of our learned discipline. Welcome discipline. Seek out discipline and increased responsibility.

Hebrews 12:5-13 says...
5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."^[a]

7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, 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! 10Our 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. 11No 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.

12Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet,"^[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Thats an awesome truth about God and about humanity.

Be cool!

Seek God!

In Christ,

Geoff Lundy