For breakfast, I poured myself a bowl of frosted mini-wheats. Well, no, actually I PICKED myself a bowl, meaning I juggled and sorted through the box to pick out the frostiest ones available. Why? Because I wanted the sweetness to cover the dry, nutritional part of the cereal. This morning, however, there weren’t very many well-frosted pieces readily available, so I dug deeper, hoping to find some on the bottom (the frostier pieces weigh more, you know).
At that moment with my hand deep in the box, I suffered an attack of the conscience. What was I doing?!? After all, wasn’t I eating this cereal for its nutritional value (rather than, say, Frosted Flakes or Captain Crunch)?? And yet, here I was selfishly searching for the ”good stuff!” Oh, the shame. (I know you’ve never done anything like that before, but for those of us who have, it is humbling moment when we succumb to such low behavior.)
Okay, okay. So maybe it wasn’t quite like that, but a random thought did cross my mind: How often do I dig for the frostier pieces in life? And how do I respond when I don’t find them? Am I disappointed? Mad? Do I frantically dig deeper in the box?
I’m old enough now to realize the need for a nutritional, well-balanced diet, just like I’m far enough along in my Christian walk to recognize that life cannot be perfect in a sin-cursed world. Even so, that doesn’t keep me from wanting a sugar-coating to help me swallow other harsher realities of life. And when I can’t find or don’t get well-frosted pieces, I accuse God of being unfair.
I’ve been listening to a message series “Responding Right When You Feel Like Reacting Wrong” (preached MANY years ago) by John Sauser. He often repeats the phrase, ‘God does not promise to make all the crooked ways straight!” In other words, God doesn’t promise an abundance of frosting with each box of mini-wheats; in fact, He doesn’t promise any frosting at all! But He does promise the grace to help me eat them, and most importantly, He promises to use them to help me grow through the nourishment they provide.”
It may surprise you, but I was not the easiest child to raise. No, I required much discipline, which my father readily and amply supplied. There were times I accepted Dad’s discipline and then…well, there were other times. (Guess which occurred more often?) Inevitably, when I resisted Dad’s discipline, I received more! Was this because my dad didn’t love me? Of course not. It was because of his great love for me that he persisted! (And praise God that he did!) If he had not cared, he wouldn’t have bothered; it wouldn’t have been worth the effort!
Likewise, my Heavenly Father corrects me (and I need plenty of it!). God knows my sinful tendencies, but He strives in love to change and transform me into His likeness for my good; and He does this through His discipline. That’s why God sent Christ, who not only acts as my Savior, but through His earthly example, serves as my encouragement!
“Consider [Jesus Christ] who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself,
so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin
you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.’
“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons.
For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated,
then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this,
we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.
Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them,
but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant,
but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness
to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:3-11
While on this earth, Christ, too, suffered at the hands of sinners; He endured wrong treatment by others, and He did so without sin. Why? Because God forgot about Him? Because God failed to protect and take care of Him? No. God allowed it for my good because when I follow the example of Christ and allow myself to be trained by life’s difficulties — that is when I am patient and look to see what God wants to teach me through them rather than reacting and fighting against them — then I am transformed into His image and share in God’s holiness. And there is nothing greater!
I say all of this for my benefit. Monday and Fred’s interview at the consulate are quickly approaching, and I know I will be served a bowl of cereal. Regardless of how much frosting covers my mini-wheats that day, may I praise and thank God for His perfectly measured portion and His sufficient grace faithfully supplied along with it.
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be,
you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuiness of your faith,
being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire
may be found to [result in] praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 1:6,7