We
desire, throughout our entire childhood, to be a self-governing adult -
especially in our teen years. Yet, once we step out of the submissive role into
an independent role, we feel the full weight of the responsibility of adulthood
come crashing down on us.
It's
tough to be a grown-up. One of the aspects of the Christian life that I rejoice
in the most is that we can be called the children of God (1 John 3:1). No
matter how many mistakes we make, our Daddy God never leaves or forsakes us
(Hebrews 13:5).
His
loving grace and mercy are always there to restore us to intimate fellowship
with Him (1 Corinthians 1:9). Our Heavenly Father longs for us to come to Him
with childlike, passionate, and eager trust, and to have faith in His
faithfulness (Matthew 18:3).
Although
this is not always true, due to menacing human behavior toward children in our
world, a child is normally full of innocence, creativity, hope, playfulness,
optimism and joy. There is a noticeable lack of cynicism and untrusting
attitudes.
A
child is happy just playing with a box, and does not need the expensive toy
that came inside. They view life in black and white, and do not worry about the
gray areas.
A
little child delights in learning the ways of God, reading about His feats on
behalf of Biblical heroes, and walking in simplistic faith devoid of personal
expectations. They play freely, chasing the leaves in the wind, blowing
bubbles, swimming and swinging for hours at a time.
I
continually ask God's help to live as a little child. I rely on Him for every
area of my life. I even ask Him to help me to open stuck lids, to send more
customers to our little café ministry, to find shoe strings when I'm trying to make
it to work on time, to discover sources for organic food to keep my body safe
from chemicals, etc.
The
more we consult Him for His will for each moment of our day, the more peace,
gladness and success we enjoy. We follow the guidance of His Holy Spirit, who
puts us in the right place at the right time to experience divinely inspired
moments.
Prayer:
Father
God, we see the fruit of our spiritual labors, and we feel our unity with Your
Trinity growing deeper and more intimate with each encounter. Nothing can ever
separate us from Your multi-dimensional love (Romans 8:35-39). Satan may
attempt to side-track or discourage us; but as we draw near to You and resist
the devil's lies and thoughts, he has to flee from us (James 4:7).
As
we age, life's roadblocks disillusion us, people let us down, promises are
broken, and we live with often debilitating disappointments. Yet, when we trust
You, our perspective about life changes. We learn to rely on You for every little
thing, as well as the big, scary things that threaten to overwhelm us (Proverbs
3:5-6). Thank You for adopting authentic Believers into Your family, and
lavishing Your love on us.
Thought
for the Day:
Children
have no expectations or preconceived ideas, until they formulate their opinions
as they age and experience the hardships and disillusionments of life.
