Feb 12 2009
The Trouble With Being Grown-up…
The trouble with growing up, especially as a Christian, is that as adults we are expected to be mature and have all the answers. The truth is, that apart from God and His wisdom, (even as believers) we just get more self-centered as we grow older. (Remember this phrase, because it’s going to come up again.
When we look at Scripture there seem to be two different takes on this subject. First of all, it says we are no longer to drink milk like new babies, but to study the Word and become mature, able to rightly divide the Word of Truth. On the other hand it says that if we don’t become like little children, we cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
So, is there a contradiction here? Absolutely not. In the first case, He’s referring to learning wisdom, which can only happen if one is mature but teachable. If we are stiff-necked and think we know it all or can go it alone, our God, who is always a gentleman, steps back and lets us take control, which, if you’ve noticed, always leads to a bad end.
To be as a child in God’s economy means we bring our needy hearts, and instead of manipulating to get what we want, we merely sit at the feet of our Father and worship Him and tell Him what’s on our hearts. Now if you think back, you might recall how it felt as a small child to sit on your mother’s lap and tell her what was on your heart. And if that need was expressed with sincerity, your mother’s love reached out to you to meet that need in the way she thought best. (At least that’s the way it was supposed to be.)
The thing about being that child is that early on we must establish that He is in authority, that we can do nothing to fix our problems, and that we come with needs that only He can address.
God is there for us, but we must come to Him with tender hearts, ready for Him to not only hug and love on us, but to correct us and show us things that need to change. This is the point where many people stumble. They think God is only warm and fuzzy, that He loves them unconditionally, and that they can do whatever they please. While He is loving, He is also holy, and demands that we be willing to be molded and changed, but many of us refuse that part of the equation. Then we wonder why He no longer comes when we call.
If you and I continue to excuse our sin and feel we have a license to do whatever we want, we have essentially pushed God away, telling Him He is not welcome in our lives. Then when we need Him, His response is, “When you come to Me with the right heart attitude, I will answer you.” Can you see the likeness to a child having a tantrum and how a wise parent responds?
Isaiah 58:9–says this: “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer. You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones. And you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins….”
To tie it all up, let me say this: God is not a vending machine into which we can merely stuff quarters and pull out what we want. God demands relationship and intimacy to make this thing work. And the funny thing is, you and I are dying for relationship–we show it in a million ways, and yet we refuse intimacy with God because it means we have to lay down our own agendas and submit to God.
It’s at this point we need to remember the phase, “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.” We either submit to God as little children or walk away. It’s that simple. There is no middle road. And while we can go our own way, it’s a lonely, empty path that leads to eternal destruction. Now that you know the truth you have a choice to make. What will you do with Jesus?
Because of His great love,
Nancy
