This morning while I was in the shower, my 3yr old came in begging to get in the bath. I told him no. He kept asking. I kept saying no, not this morning. He kept asking. He got undressed and said he was ready for the bath. I continued to say no. He didn’t let up. It was almost for the full duration of the shower… and I don’t take short showers. I finally distracted him and convinced him to get dressed; we’d go for coffee and a donut when I got out. He quickly found himself some new clothes and has been bugging me ever since to get out the door for coffee and donuts. But anyway, the purpose of my post today is that while in the shower, listening to him, I started thinking how we as adults do what he did. Don’t drop what we want until we get our own way. God reminded me that I still do it and I know that I’m not alone…

When we were first married I did it more often and in the last couple of months I’ve really noticed a difference since I asked God to nudge me when I did it. I used to give Dave a “really good idea” for how we should do something at church and if he didn’t agree or do it right away, I’d snap out a “fine, you never like my ideas” or “fine, I won’t suggest another thing” or “fine, I won’t go then” or other thoughts of feeling like I didn’t matter or what I said had no value. Which of course was not the truth but my own insecurities were spewing from my mouth like the lava from a volcano. (This is a form of manipulation and the Bible calls it a sin.) I’ve been there asking for something again and again and again until he gives in. Been there ~ bought the t-shirt.

As adults we still behave like children when we let our insecurities and emotions control us. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside.” I’m trying to do this and with all honesty after nearly 34 years of doing it “my way” it’s hard.

It’s easy to point out what others are doing. I could have posted about a whole bunch of instances where others have done this either in front of me or at me. But it is a whole other ballgame when you notice you have only 1 finger pointed forward but 3 pointing back at you.

Time to put away childish ways…

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