I woke on a summer afternoon day in 1976, and within the space of a 15-20 minute conversation,Yank Sumpter said, "No, you're not." I shot back, "Dad, you don't know what it's like."
I wanted to quit throwing freight for Safeway 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM---I used to be a Night Crawler, a.k.a Animal in the Market.
On that afternoon on the front porch, my 18-year-old know-better attitude came out loud and proud.
Of course he knew what it was like to work on 3-4-5 hours of sleep for days on in. He's of the Greatest Generation, and he's the Vince Lombardi of the work ethic. I was reared on his
: Head Down, Buttocks Up mantra. [Actually, Yank was the first one to publish the runaway bestseller from Shepherd's Press, you know, the Tedd Tripp prequel, Shepherding a Child's Butt.]Yank kept at it. Thanks Dad. You kept working on the role of discipline in a young man's life.
What did he stay at with me? What did he keep before me? Practice works a love for responsibility. Practice works into the heart a love for hungering for more.
Practice does not make perfect, but practice acts on God's provision.
Just this past week the principle was at work. I re-started a 1994 fiction publication. I love to hate fiction. But the endurance paid off. I can't put the book down 5-6 days later.
The principle goes to work at my office about every other day: Sit down, Sumpter, strap yourself in the desk, open your study notebook to your Ezra notes, Romans notes, and then the verse by verse commentary study of the Book of Hebrews. Practice on the reality that God provides. 1 Corinthians 10:13.
But what about the heart? What about shepherding a pastor's heart? Doesn't desire have anything to do with duty, responsibility and discipline? To be sure.
1. An attitude of expecting God to meet me with blessing, help, provision, guidance and fruit is key. Heart-key, heart-big. Heart-expectation-filled.
2. An attitude of responsibility, too, is key. God works in His children (Phil. 2:12-13), therefore, get to work, Sumpter. Crack the memory verses, re-listen to the Hebrew recording, choose to open the Bible and your study notes, and/or get back at the phone work, prayer, planning and sermon preparation.
3. Write down something that's bothering you, maybe distracting you. Do something with it!
4. Thank God for His correction: He corrects me by bringing me back to specific responsibilities at hand. Thank Him for that, Sumpter, thank Him! [I read about that in John White's book called, The Fight.]
5. Rest in the Sonship of knowing Jesus Christ. Today, January 1, 2010, I will NOT bat 1000. Tomorrow, January 2, 2010, I will not bat 1000. But take your cuts at the plate, God's on the mound pitching!
6. Dick Gaffin of Westminster Seminary spoke in October of 2008 at our conference about the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He exhorted us, Act on the historical, bodily resurrection. Act on it. We're commended to obedience not merely out of a newness of heart with thanksgiving. We're commended to obedience not merely working out a thankful heart; it's not that alone; no. We're in Jesus Christ, the Risen One, act in Him. Today is the day of saving power--the Risen Jesus. Act in Him. That's been instructive. Amen, Dr. Gaffin. He was teaching from Colossians 3 and 1 Corinthians 15. Amen, Dr. Gaffin.
So, OK. Sumpter, get after it in Jesus. Reading, writing, teaching, praying, evangelizing, visiting, serving, cleaning. Now is the day of salvation.
Thoughtfulness toward my wife and children; specific acts of service in the home; taking the time to greet (hugs, words of encouragement), meet (special appointments), seat (take time and talk), and treat (have fun).
Thanks, Yank, for your work on forming my heart for discipline.
G. Mark Sumpter
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