relationships (Psalm 141:1-10) Mentors and Self-Discipline

(Psalm 141:1-10) 

1   Lord, I call upon You; hurry to me!
     Listen to my voice when I call to You!
2   May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
     The raising of my hands as the evening offering.
3   Set a guard, Lord, over my mouth;
     Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4   Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
     To practice deeds of wickedness 
     With people who do wrong;
     And may I not taste their delicacies.

5   May the righteous strike me with mercy and discipline me;
     It is oil for the head;
     My head shall not refuse it,
     For my prayer is still against their evil deeds.
6   Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock,
     And they hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7   As when one plows and breaks open the earth,
     Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

8   For my eyes are toward You, God, the Lord;
     In You I take refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
9   Keep me from the jaws of the trap which they have set for me,
     And from the snares of those who do wrong.
10 May the wicked fall into their own nets,
     While I pass by safely.

TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:

It can be dangerously misleading to get a taste of a "worldly delicacy" because it might feel good in the moment, which could tempt one to continue searching for that "next high" (whatever "delicacy" it is, be it drugs, sex, fame, money, power...).  And for a time, it might even feel like freedom, but all of these paths are traps to keep one enslaved to sin.  And all of these paths lie in the midst of others who are really only out for themselves.  And so, all of these paths only lead to deception, destruction and disappointment.

The path of sin also leads to shame and humiliation, because God has created everyone with a conscience.  Many try to harden their hearts so that they won't feel guilty, but the only remedy is for one to repent and turn to the Lord.  If a believer has been sinning, they will feel guilt and remorse because the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts.  The only remedy is for us to humbly confess and get back to closely walking with the Lord.  Understand the difference though, "humiliation" is the defeat of sin, while "being humble" is a choice to accept eternal life and victory in the Lord Jesus Christ.  And so, it is only on this path that we will experience true freedom, fulfillment and joy.

Like fragrant incense, or a well-prepared feast, in a close walk with the Lord, our worship and prayers will be pleasing to Him, because we will be striving to do all things in His strength, love and wisdom!  Like David does here, ask God to help us speak and act accordingly!  And when we pray, it will please Him when we pray in His will.  Obviously, it helps to know God's will, as well as have other believers who will guide us and help keep us accountable, in a loving and godly way.

Here, we need to understand that word "discipline".  This does NOT mean that we are to punish each other, or whip each others into shape, or even berate fellow Christians into feeling shame and humility.  We cannot control others, nor should we try to control or manipulate - even if it is "for their own good".  Consider how we would like to be approached if and when we are struggling with something.

So what does that word "discipline" actually mean?  Think of an athlete in training, or a musician refining and learning more skills.  There is a coach/instructor present who knows and understands what is needed, and they are there to teach, guide and encourage.  And if they observe something that will hinder one's best performance, they will point it out and offer suggestions as to how to avoid doing that by doing something else, which will be the right way, or a better way.  

Even if a mentor is there only some of the time, a lot of the time, or all of the time, all the responsibility actually falls on the athlete or musician to become more and more self-disciplined, to take the instructions and feedback to heart, and be determined enough to put in the necessary practice and preparation.  Even the most seasoned athletes and musicians know the importance of practicing the basics daily, like warm-ups, drills and scales, as well as the opportunity to learning new things in order to improve even more.

While it still might sound scary, we should have the courage to desire this from the Lord, as well as from other believers.  And to be this kind of mentor for others.  Everything should be Spirit-led, which will in turn encourage us to continue being Spirit-led, in order to stay on the path of victory, fulfillment and joy, which is to have a close, personal relationship with the Lord, who protects us from others as well as ourselves, and disciplines, guides, molds and shapes us.