Tuesday, April 29, 2008

What a 1 year old teaches me.

I have a one year old son Riley.
He is beautiful and most of the time happy.
But he is an awesome example of our sin nature.
Selfishness with a body.
He can be very demanding.

My wife and I taught Riley sign language and he has learned many words including eat, more, please. (This is his favorite.)

It is so funny when he really wants something: he does one of two things.
He starts crying, whimpering and demanding whatever object has his attention that minute. If it is something he is allowed to have we tell him he has to say please, by signing (rubbing hand on chest in circular motion). More often than not he gets really angry and will throw himself on the ground crying. We try not to laugh. You would have thought we asked him to do something completely unreasonable.

The second approach is that he sees something and begins to vigorously rub his chest in the motion for 'please'. Thinking he has unlocked the key to getting whatever he wants. It can be hard to tell him no when the object he asks for is not something he should have. He cries, feelings hurt, not understanding why, when he asked so nicely, he did not get his way.

It is often the same way with prayer and life.
We think just because we ask God really nice or get really pushy about it that we should get it.
But we don't usually see the big picture (that being the future consequences).
God often says no because it simply isn't the best for us.

Consider today if your prayers are geared to match God's desire for the best in your life, or your personal expectations of what you think should be...

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