Imagine you're a teenager eager to attend a party your friends are throwing tonight. You don't have to ask before going to the party. You can carefully sneak out and then back in, bypassing the need to ask for permission. However, you choose not to do that and instead do what your parents taught you – ask for their permission.
Despite asking for permission and behaving well, your parents forbid you from going. You can't figure out what the big deal is. All your friends are going, some of whom, unlike you, are sneaking out. You think your parents are worried about your curfew, so you clarify to them that you won't stay the entire time; you just want to swing by to see your friends and avoid missing out on the party.
Still, they say no. You think it's unfair, but you accept their decision. The next morning, you discover that some friends were badly injured in the fire at the party's location. You quickly realize that your asthma could have made the situation worse for you if you had been there. Now, you're grateful your parents didn't allow you to go, and you're relieved you obeyed, despite everything.
When you inform your parents about the incident and express your gratitude for not going, they mention they weren't surprised about the fire. It had been in the news that the deteriorating building had exposed wiring, posing a risk of an explosion even without a trigger. "Your friends must have chosen the building for the party because it was free to use," your parents comment.
So, you realize that's why they wouldn't let you go, not even for a few minutes, because the accident was bound to happen. Now you get your parents' decision, but two things don't sit well with you.
Your parents noticed your disappointment about not being allowed to attend the party, so you ask why they hadn't shared their reason. You'd have understood. However, they counter: "Would you have accepted our explanation, or would you have thought it was just an excuse to stop you from going?" You realize they're right.
But still, you wonder why your parents didn't warn your friends. But just as you're about to ask, you realize your friends were already aware of the danger. The news had repeatedly highlighted the building's hazards, and the city was shutting it down on Monday. Your friends wanted to benefit from the building's availability and affordability to throw a party, so they ignored the warnings, possibly thinking the building would be fine.
This anecdote captures our experience with the discipline of God. Often we feel like this teenager who thinks they know what's good and reason that they should pursue it. I use the term "know" cautiously because often, we think we know enough/what's necessary about a certain matter, even though we don't, which isn't a shocker since we, humans, are not all-knowing, unlike our Maker.
But just like the teenager, we feel that if God is stopping us from doing this or that, at least He should tell us why, right there and then. But then where is faith in that? Where is trust? Imagine how it must hurt to hear the person you love the most say that they doubt your intentions. Ouch!
Just like the teenager's parents, God always has our best interests in mind. We think we have our best interests in mind too. The craziest thing is, we can't even fathom what "best" entails because we really don't know. We may say that "best" is prestige, healthy relationships, a good job, security, etc. But God says, no. That's not all. Think bigger, better, more majestic, and we don't even have an idea what that is. How would we know? The Bible says,
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!... No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (Rom 11:33a & 1 Cor 2:9)
So, the question becomes: Will I trust the lordship and discipline of an all-loving, all-knowing God or my mind that often doesn't even know what's right in front of it? Even the heart, which we're so urged to follow these days, is deceitful above all things!
Another masterpiece.