Growing up, I was terrified of getting in trouble.
Not with my parents, mind you. Don’t worry. I’m sure my shenanigans causes them more gray hairs (sorry, Mama) and lost hairs (sorry, Daddy) than my parents would like to recall. Oh no, I wasn’t afraid of getting in trouble with them.
But when it came to “authority” figures like teachers? Oh yeah, I was Miss Angelic Child of the Year. (My parents always wished this attitude carried over at home. Sorry again, ‘Rents.)
In my entire youth, I am relatively certain I only got legitimately sent to the principal’s office two times. This doesn’t include the times that I went there willingly “just to chat.” Yes, I was that kid.
One time in early elementary school, I was sent to the principal’s office to be “questioned” about a fight that had broken out among two other students. I guess I was just a witness.
But the other time I wound up in the principal’s office? Yeah, I was in trouble. And I thought I was going to die.
Source: Eric Castro via Flickr
Here’s what happened: I was probably in third, maybe fourth grade. Like most schools, we would eat lunch in the cafeteria (it doubled as our gymnasium) and then we would wait in line, put our tray in the little kitchen window to be washed, then FREEDOM OH FREEDOM– off to recess.
It was probably thirty feet from the kitchen window tray depository area to the outside door leading to recess. Like most youth, I was pumped. Couldn’t happen soon enough. But there was a rule: No running.
And on the day I got busted? There was apparently a “no-stiff-armed-speed-walking” allowed either.
It’s fine. I’m not bitter.
It was only five minutes off recess sitting in the principal’s office and it’s not like they called my parents or anything. But I was upset. Embarrassed. And scared that something terrible was going to happen.
Nothing did. I just sat in the swivel chairs in the principal’s conference room with about a dozen other speed walking rebel-rousers.
When I first started following Christ, I felt the same way about Him as I did our principal.
I thought that around every corner, He was going to be waiting to bust me. I didn’t want to get involved in something that I couldn’t do perfectly. And apparently, I was a sinner. So I wasn’t perfect. Which mean I should get in trouble, right?
Kind of. But not really. Is God to be feared? Heck yes, He is. This is one powerful dude. He has more power than we could ever comprehend and could invoke (much-needed) discipline on us at any moment.
But He is also a very fair, loving, just and forgiving God.
Yes, He has rules, regulations and guidelines set in place for us to try to follow. But they aren’t because He is on a power trip. (Although He has every right to be.) They are for our own protection.
Just like the rules from elementary school. I highly doubt that the administration sat around and said, “Hey guys, let’s dream up some more rules to make life harder for ourselves.”
Yeah, no. Those no-running-to-recess rules were there for a reason. It taught us discipline. It taught us patience. And it kept us from slipping on the floor that so often had water splashes or leftover gravy drizzled from the cafeteria.
God is the same way. He has rules in place to keep us OUT of trouble, not to get us into trouble.
“Thou shalt not have any Gods before me.” Why? Because we can’t do any better than THE LORD OF LORDS!
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” Why? Because the heartache that comes with it has lasting, life-altering and damaging effects to all parties involved.
I could go on. I really could. But for now, I want to drive home a few points.
Should we fear God? Yes. But not necessarily in the “Oooo, He is looking to bust me at any given moment” but more along the lines of “He’s awesome and I should respect Him.”
And no matter what friends, remember this: When you do screw up (we all do) and God busts you for something, know that our sins have been paid for. A repentant heart that accepts the fact that Jesus Christ died on that cross is all we need. He died for us so that we wouldn’t have to spend eternity in the theoretical principal’s office.
Busted yet redeemed,
“My dear child, don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either. It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children.” ~Hebrews 12:5-7 MSG
Linking up today with my sweet friend Beth over at Three-word Wednesday and also with Walking Redeemed. Oh! And be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
