October 9, 2006 9:48 AM
Elisabeth Elliot on God's curriculum - and a few thoughts of my own
In case any of you are still not subscribed to Elisabeth Elliot, I must run today's - it is so good and so helpful for remembering who's in charge of my life.
God's CurriculumOne day recently something lit a fuse of anger in someone who then burned me with hot words. I felt sure I didn't deserve this response, but when I ran to God about it, He reminded me of part of a prayer I'd been using lately: "Teach me to treat all that comes to me with peace of soul and with firm conviction that Your will governs all."
Where could that kind of peace come from? Only from God, who gives "not as the world gives."
His will that I should be burned? Here we must tread softly. His will governs all. In a wrong-filled world we suffer (and cause) many a wrong. God is there to heal and comfort and forgive. He who brought blessing to many out of the sin of the jealous brothers against Joseph means this hurt for my ultimate blessing and, I think, for an increase of love between me and the one who hurt me. Love is very patient, very kind. Love never seeks its own. Love looks to God for his grace to help.
"It was not you who sent me here but God," Joseph said to his brothers. "You meant to do me harm; but God meant to bring good out of it" (Genesis 45:8, 50:20, NEB).
There is a philosophy of secular education which holds that the student ought to be allowed to assemble his own curriculum according to his preferences. Few students have a strong basis for making these choices, not knowing how little they know. Ideas of what they need to learn are not only greatly limited but greatly distorted. What they need is help from those who know more than they do.
Mercifully, God does not leave us to choose our own curriculum. His wisdom is perfect, His knowledge embraces not only all worlds but the individual hearts and minds of each of His loved children. With intimate understanding of our deepest needs and individual capacities, He chooses our curriculum. We need only ask, "Give us this day our daily bread, our daily lessons, our homework." An angry retort from someone may be just the occasion we need in which to learn not only longsuffering and forgiveness, but meekness and gentleness; fruits not born in us but borne only by the Spirit. As Amy Carmichael wrote, "A cup brimful of sweetness cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, no matter how suddenly jarred" (From her book IF published by Christian Literature Crusade).
God's curriculum for all who sincerely want to know Him and do His will will always include lessons we wish we could skip. But the more we apply ourselves, the more honestly we can say what the psalmist said: "I, thy servant, will study thy statutes. / Thy instruction is my continual delight; / I turn to it for counsel. / I will run the course set out in thy commandments, / for they gladden my heart" (Psalm 119:23, 24, 32, NEB).
I know this is very helpful for me right now. The picture of myself as a student who would like to pick and choose my curriculum rather than trusting my teacher - and I'm not talking college-level here, but kindergarten :) - really just makes me laugh. And laughter lightens the load immediately.
When you have a lot of children and some of them are grown, you have to deal with so many personalities and issues. The weirdest feeling is when your children - who are young enough to be, well young enough to be your children - decide they know so much more than you and seem intent on judging.
I remember my 20s and 30s. I was very judgmental.
I didn't become a Christian until I was 38 and for a number of years I was probably even more self-righteous and judgmental (everyone should homeschool, everyone should breastfeed, some churches are “deadâ€). But when you place your life fully in God's hands, time has a way of softening your heart. No matter how perfect a Christian you think you are, if you are honest God will begin to show you that you are just not as perfect as you think. And if you continue to think you’re perfect enough to judge, then your problem is probably pride which is the worst sin of all.
For a long time, I didn't understand why David was considered a man after God's own heart because his life was marked with sin. But that was when I thought I was a perfect Christian. As God began to fine tune, revealing to me the little pockets of sin - not to mention the horrible ugliness of judging others – I began to understand that God isn’t looking for perfection in us but looking for a certain attitude of the heart. David had that attitude where his focus was on his own relationship with the Lord, not on how much better or worse he was doing than anyone else. His love for his father was pure and enthusiastic. His understanding that he didn’t have to be perfect and this trust in God’s unconditional love are clear in the Psalms. His excitement about God caused him to dance with joy even as others judged him for dancing.
You know what? I just want to dance with joy before the Lord. Where in the past I worried about bumps in the road with adult children who seemed intent on not respecting me, I am just not going to worry about that any more. Of course I’m not perfect. And I thank God that most of my kids don’t expect me to be perfect and love me the same way I love them – unconditionally.
So this is part of God’s lesson plans for me – actually one he’s been presenting me with for a number of years. Like Elisabeth Elliot, I can say this isn’t the curriculum I would have chosen. But I can’t say that I am unhappy with what I’ve learned. God certainly understands what I need next.
Actually, my response to EE’s message this morning has been like my blue-book test (do they still use blue books for essay tests in college?). I’m handing it in to my teacher now. Thanks. I’ve learned and I’ve let go.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some dancing before the Lord to do!
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I'd like to encourage you to include Elisabeth Elliot in your morning reading. As you can see by my reaction above, her writing often helps illuminate something that’s going on in your life. Subscribe to her daily devotions here.
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