During my son’s time in the Marines, one of his subordinates approached him. “Sir, I can’t find my rifle.” An odd thing, indeed, for a marine to say. On top of that, this particular individual had a history of misplacing his rifle.
So my son took him on a quest to find two things-
1. His rifle and 2. A ROLL OF DUCT TAPE.
When both were located, he had the young man hold his rifle, parallel, against his chest. As the private slowly spun, my son wound him in duct tape, securely fastening the weapon to him. If that wasn’t humiliating enough, he then took the man around for everyone else to see, and instructed him to say, “This is my rifle. I won’t lose it again.”
When I was told that story, my mouth dropped. “Son, what a humiliating punishment. Wasn’t that a little harsh?”
He shook his head. “In battle, that weapon stands between life and death for that marine and for his comrades. Learn his lesson now, and stay alive when it matters!”
My son was right.
Have you ever felt like God is punishing you? Like your burden is too much? Have you ever wondered why God allows awful things to happen to you?
Maybe you should considered the notion that He’s trying to teach you a lesson.
Christians want the roses without having to deal with the thorns. It’s sometimes hard to accept, but God disciplines us, and discipline can hurt.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying all our pain, suffering, and trials are a direct result of God’s discipline. There are also troubles this world throws at us. And sometimes our struggles are due to our own stupidity. Yet the Bible tells us God disciplines those He loves.
Hebrews 12:5-7 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?”
God is forging us, making us more Christ-like. Sometimes the process might hurt. Change hurts!
So if you’re having an I’m-Wound-in-Duct-Tape kind of day, ask yourself, What’s the Lord trying to teach me?