Stop Being an Adult!

Matthew 19:14 NKJV: "But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

The Word is living and active. And each time you read it, something new pops up! (Love that for us, honestly). Over and over again, this particular scripture pops up for me, and I would love to share in this joy 🤩.

Think of a child who is well-adjusted and in a healthy home. Such a child is innocent and pure. They ask many questions without fear or shame. They are friendly and kind. They do not bother themselves with ‘adult stuff’. They are keen and eager to learn new things. They are trusting of their caregivers. They hear and obey their caregivers and rest in their caregivers’ authority.

Let's flip the situation now.

Think of your walk with Jesus. Are you like a little child when it comes to your relationship with Him? Have you 'grown up'?

The Lord describes Himself very many times as a Father in His word:

Psalm 68:5-6 NKJV – “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.”

James 1:16-18 NKJV – “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”

2 Corinthians 6:16b, 18 NKJV – “And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people...“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

And so on...

God desires to keep being your Father even after you accept Jesus into your heart!

But many times the cares of the earth make us far too independent, self-reliant and self-driven to sit and receive direction and infilling from God. We think we know how to choose our career paths, lovers, friends, opportunities and so on without the input of the One who knows us more than we know ourselves. Oh, how we delude ourselves! That the Maker of all we see, the One who created all the galaxies scientists are slowly discovering, He who has made our innermost parts, does not know which direction our lives should take... Doesn't make sense, right?

Glad you agree!🤭

Then why do we so often drift into self-dependence and become "adults" where God so keenly wants us to remain child-like, tender, taken care of and highly defended by Him as our Father? Why do we refuse to receive God’s Fatherly love? (Pride is one reason, fear is another, but ultimately a poor understanding of sonship is the main culprit.)

PS: I came to learn that one reason why it is hard to be child-like is if one suffered trauma under their primary caregivers. This is another matter altogether that we can address in future blog posts. But in case you struggle to receive God as Father because of a traumatic childhood, I recommend Mark Dejesus. My mentor recommended his videos to me, and they have really helped me reclaim my identity as a daughter before a dependable Dad!

Friend, God desires to sing songs of love over you. He wants to refresh you and make you whole in every broken area of your life.

I had a situation to handle a few weeks back, and it was stressing me out. The idea of childlikeness came to mind, and I believe that the Holy Spirit brought that thought to mind because He saw that I needed it. I asked myself, "What would a child do?" and I quickly humbled myself and told the whole situation to God like a child would report a matter to their parents. I left the prayer closet lighter, and I refused to go back to worry over the same matter again. It has been a better time since that. The situation has not changed much, but I have subtracted stress and worry from my list of to-dos. God gave me His word, and so I shall stand on it until the matter changes! (Remaining child-like before God does not erase life's issues, but it equips you with a healthy way to navigate them and certainly keeps you sensitive to the Holy Spirit!)

So, friend, be a child and refuse to 'grow up' and be independent from God. Depend on Him. God takes great pleasure in watching over you and being your Dad.

Happy discovering!

With love,

W. 🌹