Titus 3:10-11
Warn troublemakers once or twice. Then
don’t have anything else to do with them. You know that their minds are
twisted, and their own sins show how guilty they are.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Who
knew that “Assertive Discipline” was biblical?! Ever since I was a
kindergarten teacher in the 1980s, I have favored this method of
reinforcing good behavior…but having clear and distinct boundaries and
consequences for improper actions. Today, I use the “1-2-3” counting
system with our little ones, and they totally “get” that they do not
want to hear me say “THREE!” This will result in a “time out,” missed
activities and fun, or the loss of a privilege or treat.
In
Timothy’s kindergarten classroom, the teacher uses a “color system” that
marks whether behaviors are acceptable, outstanding…or unacceptable.
There is even a “warning” color. Timothy has told us that he and his
classmates are sometimes given a chance to “turn things around” and
“clip up” to a higher/more acceptable color. And a string of days with
good “colors” results in a trip to the “treasure chest” to select a
prize.
We try to be careful to recognize GOOD behavior often -
with plenty of praise to reinforce it. The children have “earned” all
kinds of prizes for accruing consistent stretches of time where they
followed the rules and made good choices. Some insist that this amounts
to bribery. But let’s be honest – in every area of life, good choices
and actions bring rewards, while troublemakers who make bad decisions
will suffer consequences!
So as we apply these principles to our
“grown-up” relationships with others, we see that there are times when
we must distance ourselves from “friends” and fellow believers. If
someone will not stop making derogatory remarks on social media, despite
gentle reminders to “keep it clean and kind,” it is okay to “unfriend”
or block them – or at the very least, to “unfollow” their posts. More
than once, I have had to message someone who repeatedly included me in
e-mail messages that perpetuated false rumors and viewpoints -and
suggest (or warn) that I did not endorse this. If these persons
continued to include me in their missives, I blocked them.
Is it
hard to do this? You bet! It’s also hard to put our little ones in
“time out” or “clip them down” to a “bad” color…not just because they
sometimes go “kicking and screaming,” but because it’s human nature to
say, “Okay…I’ll give you one more chance.” This often leads to
another…and another…and nothing gets resolved in the end. Sometimes,
Christians have to do the hard things in the spirit of obedience and
faithfulness. And choosing to distance ourselves from someone who
persists in sin and troublemaking is often necessary.
Don’t
misunderstand me…this does not mean that you stop caring. We must pray
for these persons…love them as Jesus loves us…wish them well and show
genuine concern for their well-being. But we must do so from a
distance…believing that Jesus will stand in the gap and make the
difference. And just as we “reward” small children and recognize their
positive words and actions, we must be sure to do this with our
“grown-up” friends and acquaintances, also.
Notice the
positives…be kind and approachable (within reason)…and share the
unconditional love of Jesus. There is truth to the adage…”love the
sinner, hate the sin.” This is a truly difficult thing to do
sometimes…but God will strengthen you. Jesus has told us to love our
“enemies” and pray for them. But we don’t have to make them our BFFs!
People
are watching…and our demonstration of faithfulness in this manner will
be duly noted. Ask God to show you how – and when – to administer a
“time out” to troublemakers. And ask Him to show these folks how to
correct their mistakes and “clip up” to a better version of themselves.
With God, all things really ARE possible!
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label making tough decisions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label making tough decisions. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 26, 2015
April 26 ~ Psalms 91:1-6
We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods.
This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I still remember the day that I marched into my principal’s office and said, “I will not be back as a teacher next year.” Talk about a scary moment! I knew that this was right for me…but after 9 years in the classroom, I was also nervous and frightened about admitting – to myself and others – that I needed to go in another direction. I remember the day I gave notice in another job that I had held for more than three years. Again, I knew it was the right thing to do, but saying those words was not easy. I remember the day I messaged all of the members of my church’s Praise Team and told them that I had just spent my last Sunday helping to lead worship. I knew that God was moving me…but after eight years of serving in this capacity, the finality of saying, “I’m done” was daunting, to say the least.
Every day, people do courageous things. Some take brave steps, like uttering the phrase, “My name is XYZ, and I am an alcoholic.” Or perhaps they tell their friends and family members that they are gay. Maybe someone in an abusive relationship says, “Enough!” and contacts authorities or a shelter and pursues physical safety and support. Maybe you have admitted to someone that you are in over your head financially and need help figuring out what to do next. Or perhaps you have admitted that your marriage or relationship is not working…and something has to change.
Maybe you have told your parents that you are flunking out of school – or that you don’t want to return to college next year. Or maybe you told your coach or band director - or another group sponsor - that you are quitting the team/band/club.
This scripture passage is particularly important for each of us, because at one point or another, we will all face something that scares the pants off us. It may be one of the things I mentioned. Or it may be another personal crisis – like losing a loved one, physical illness or injury…or even facing your own mortality. We’ve all been in a situation where our heart raced and pounded and we dreaded the day or night and whatever it might bring.
But no more! We must remind ourselves that we do indeed stand within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. We must remember that He alone is our refuge, our place of safety; He is our God, and we must trust Him. We must feel the shelter of His wings and seek refuge there.
When fears come – and they will – we must call on God to help us…and fully believe that He will do just that. Whatever you are facing today…whatever fears are troubling you…give them to God. Let the armor of His loving arms embrace and embolden you with courage and peace. Put one foot in front of the other, and keep on going. God’s got this…you have nothing to fear!
©2015 Debbie Robus
We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods.
This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day; nor dread the plagues of darkness, nor disasters in the morning.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
I still remember the day that I marched into my principal’s office and said, “I will not be back as a teacher next year.” Talk about a scary moment! I knew that this was right for me…but after 9 years in the classroom, I was also nervous and frightened about admitting – to myself and others – that I needed to go in another direction. I remember the day I gave notice in another job that I had held for more than three years. Again, I knew it was the right thing to do, but saying those words was not easy. I remember the day I messaged all of the members of my church’s Praise Team and told them that I had just spent my last Sunday helping to lead worship. I knew that God was moving me…but after eight years of serving in this capacity, the finality of saying, “I’m done” was daunting, to say the least.
Every day, people do courageous things. Some take brave steps, like uttering the phrase, “My name is XYZ, and I am an alcoholic.” Or perhaps they tell their friends and family members that they are gay. Maybe someone in an abusive relationship says, “Enough!” and contacts authorities or a shelter and pursues physical safety and support. Maybe you have admitted to someone that you are in over your head financially and need help figuring out what to do next. Or perhaps you have admitted that your marriage or relationship is not working…and something has to change.
Maybe you have told your parents that you are flunking out of school – or that you don’t want to return to college next year. Or maybe you told your coach or band director - or another group sponsor - that you are quitting the team/band/club.
This scripture passage is particularly important for each of us, because at one point or another, we will all face something that scares the pants off us. It may be one of the things I mentioned. Or it may be another personal crisis – like losing a loved one, physical illness or injury…or even facing your own mortality. We’ve all been in a situation where our heart raced and pounded and we dreaded the day or night and whatever it might bring.
But no more! We must remind ourselves that we do indeed stand within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. We must remember that He alone is our refuge, our place of safety; He is our God, and we must trust Him. We must feel the shelter of His wings and seek refuge there.
When fears come – and they will – we must call on God to help us…and fully believe that He will do just that. Whatever you are facing today…whatever fears are troubling you…give them to God. Let the armor of His loving arms embrace and embolden you with courage and peace. Put one foot in front of the other, and keep on going. God’s got this…you have nothing to fear!
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for September 16, 2013
Hebrews 11:24-28
By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff. By an act of faith, he turned his heel on Egypt, indifferent to the king’s blind rage. He had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going. By an act of faith, he kept the Passover Feast and sprinkled Passover blood on each house so that the destroyer of the firstborn wouldn’t touch them.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I still remember when a lifelong friend of mine telephoned his wife from another state, where he had traveled on business, to tell her that he was quitting his lucrative job as a sales manager for a five-state area in order to return to college and earn a teaching degree. He became a second grade teacher… one of the best I’ve ever known. He took a lot of flak for this decision, but quite frankly, we don’t have enough male teachers in elementary classrooms, where many children need a strong, positive masculine influence.
I recall the words of 17-year-old Cassie Bernall, a senior at Columbine High School, who was reportedly asked, “Do you believe in God?” by one of two deranged shooters who killed 15 people and injured twenty-four more. Observers report that when Bernall answered, “Yes,” she was shot and killed. Some claim that several students were asked this same question - not just Bernall - but the story of her supposed encounter and response has circulated the world and caused more than one person to choose to follow Jesus.
We are not all called to make noble sacrifices. We will not all be faced with choosing to stay stuck in a career we don’t enjoy or “changing gears” and going in a different direction. Most of us will not face the decision of whether to sign up to serve our country in the military, as countless men and women have before us – and more will in the future. I pray that none of us will ever be asked at gunpoint whether we love Jesus. But we will each face choices and decisions that frame our lives and define us... and how we respond will have lifelong - if not eternal - impact.
If you have not chosen a life partner and/or spouse, you probably will. You may be faced with the decision to have children – or not… to change majors – or universities… to change jobs or move to another area of the country (or another country altogether)…to end – or drastically alter – friendships, lifestyles, and more. At every turn, we face choices… and there will be plenty of people just like the Egyptian king who are unhappy with your decisions – if not reduced to blind rage, as this scripture mentions. Not every choice we make will be popular, and we will have to endure the ramifications and consequences. Just because we listen to God and choose to do what He directs does not ensure smooth sailing.
As this scripture passage indicates, this all comes down to a matter of faith. When we trust God and listen to His voice, our choices may be difficult… they may raise eyebrows among family and friends…and they may cause our heart to race as we commit to God and believe in Him for the desired outcome. But like Moses, we will be looking ahead to a bigger payoff… we will have our eye on the One no eye can see. And HE will make the ultimate difference.
Whatever decisions you face today, prayerfully consider your options and LISTEN for God’s voice. Follow His direction…trust His plans… choose faithfully… and trust Him to handle the rest.
©2013 Debbie Robus
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