Price Tags

The purpose of trials in our lives can often be hidden from our earthly eyes.

We say it -- by rote sometimes -- in the midst of our struggle, "God is good."

But we mean, He is good IF He heals me, or solves my problem, or releases me from this trial.

 

We do not often see that because He is truly good, He is working for something greater than what our narrow vision calls goodness.

 

Would it be a sign of a good father to dismiss a boy from carrying a load of wood within his ability just because he feels a twinge of ache and is overwhelmed by the look of things?

No, of course not.

A good father teaches his son that he is stronger than his muscles crying out are telling him.  He can develop strength of will and strength of arm. 

And that is for his greater good.

 

So it is with God. 

He is a good Father -- the Best.

The good He has in mind for us looks a lot different than we think sometimes.

 

Instead of release from trials, His prescription for growing spiritual muscle is often more and heavier ones.

But the fruitful yeild of such times is what He longs to see.

And, if we will trust Him fully, we must learn to value the things He values.

 

My Dad used to tell a story about a man who sneaked into a departent store in the middle of the night.

Though he didn't steal a thing, his actions produced a greater loss for the store than any petty theivery would have.

 

This man went from item to item and switched all the price tags.

A refrigerator was marked $5.99, while a toaster's sticker read $400.00!

The leather couch which wore the tag $12.50 was across the aisle from the red and white umbrella priced at $799.00!

And so on, throughout the store.

 

In the morning, it took the management some time before they discovered what had happened.

But when they finally did, much damage to their profit had already been done.

The stickers had to be replaced . . . greater prices returned to the more valuable items.

 

And we are in such a process.

All our lives we have placed a high price on our own comfort . . . our convenience . . . our will.

So when we come to a trial, it seems like a disturbance in these pursuits of great value to us.

 

But God's price tags are different.

He values character, not comfort.  He loves holiness, not happiness.

In His economy, our heart is the weightier matter . . . the higher price.

 

And to see His hand of goodness in our trials, we must make the switch.

His values in place of ours.

 

"God is educating you; that's why you must never drop out.

He's treating you as dear children. This trouble you're in isn't punishment; it's training, the normal experience of children. Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God's training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God's holy best.

At the time, discipline isn't much fun. It always feels like it's going against the grain.

Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it's the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God." (Heb. 12:6-11) 

 

Those who have stayed under the training . . . they are the ones who accept His values.

They are the ones, who by constant use, have determined that what He calls "good" -- is really good!  Better, indeed, than what we would call "good".

 

“God has his own ideas regarding what is good and he does not always agree with us." (St. Augustine)

 . . . for what is maturity in the Christian life but learning to think. like. God?

 

And to live by every word that proceeds from His mouth . . . His eternal values communicated in love to our ever-listening ears.