Broccoli, Chocolate, Discipline...and Me.

Twenty-something years ago a chubby-cheeked little Stephie and her sandy-haired big brother sit and recite to their mom,

"All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." Heb. 12:11

Sitting around our oak dining room table with the backdrop of our California sunshine, my little girl self exists, unsuspecting and under appreciating that Mom feeds us words to nourish our souls. Unfortunately, those words taste like broccoli and not like chocolate.

Throughout my childhood I completely identify with the "sorrowful" part of that verse. The spankings that sprinkle my days in gravely interesting ways cause much of that sorrow. "Stephie, don't procrastinate, first time obedience!" "Calm down and control yourself," and "Don't instigate your brother!" echo often through our home. The discipline comes calmly and lovingly, but as my rear stings with the healthy smacks of my parent's paddle, I feel sorrow. Discipline, for the moment, seems not to be joyful, but terribly, terribly sorrowful. It looms as the broccoli of life.

Fast forward to my second year of marriage with Clay. Driving in the car with blinks of sunlight and shade floating on our windshield, we talk about our relationship and the practices we see help our marriage. Clay compliments me on something...one of those disciplines so diligently instilled years ago...and I have to say, "You need to thank my mom for that! She did such a great job of teaching me!" In that moment, with the swell of happiness from the praise of my husband, discipline seems very, very sweet indeed. The peaceful fruit of righteousness tastes better than the finest of chocolates. Who would have thought?

These peeks into times both distant and near encourage me again. I still often associate discipline with the wholesome and stodgy taste of broccoli. I still focus on the moment, procrastinating in what I know I ought to do, and sometimes, I still cherish the delight of instigating my brother - lovingly now, of course. But as I am gently reminded by those dearest to me, I still desperately need discipline. I need to practice the disciplines of godliness: cherishing the gospel, diligence in the Word, and living sacrificially, among others. As Barbara Hughes puts it in her book Disciplines of a Godly Woman, 

"The discipline of the gospel is coming to God on His terms."

 So often I fail, morningly, daily, and nightly, but I know what I want - I desire the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Fruit tastes sweet, and fruit coming from a life yielded to God's terms tastes tantalizing. Don't give up because the training seems hard. Don't quit because you have failed to discipline yourself for the sake of righteousness (I fail again and again). We may have the peaceful fruit of righteousness for dessert, our heavenly Father tells us, but first we must discipline ourselves and eat our broccoli. First comes sorrow, but then...what joy awaits!