I had a very serious conversation with a six-year-old yesterday. "I just don't think we can be friends anymore, " she confessed.
"What seems to be the problem? Why can't you be her friend?" I expected an answer along the lines of being influenced toward bad behavior, or a betrayal of some kind.
Instead she answered, "She always wants me to do what she wants to do and I don't want to keep doing her things."
What a great opportunity to share the principle of limits and love! God loves all of us, but the thing that separates us is our desire to do our own thing. The more I understand about Who God is, the more aware I become of the difference between His way and my way. Just like this little friend, I have an expectation that God will do what I want Him to. How very arrogant! God is separate, He is a being apart from all He has created--and yet He has reached down to me!
At the same time, God has limits and cannot, will not, overlook wrong. There is a way to approach Him, but not on my terms. The only way to approach God is on His terms: "Then Jesus said to Him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.'" (John 14:6).
It is only through humility, a confession of my sin, and dependence on His Son, Jesus (Who paid my sin-debt), that I can enter that relationship with God the Father.
Now we all know this little six-year-old does not stand in the place of God, nor should she express a sinful arrogance, but there is a time and place to lovingly serve and a time and place to lovingly confront. I don't know which path she chose--which path have you chosen? The one that leads toward God, or the one that lead away?
"What seems to be the problem? Why can't you be her friend?" I expected an answer along the lines of being influenced toward bad behavior, or a betrayal of some kind.
Instead she answered, "She always wants me to do what she wants to do and I don't want to keep doing her things."
What a great opportunity to share the principle of limits and love! God loves all of us, but the thing that separates us is our desire to do our own thing. The more I understand about Who God is, the more aware I become of the difference between His way and my way. Just like this little friend, I have an expectation that God will do what I want Him to. How very arrogant! God is separate, He is a being apart from all He has created--and yet He has reached down to me!
At the same time, God has limits and cannot, will not, overlook wrong. There is a way to approach Him, but not on my terms. The only way to approach God is on His terms: "Then Jesus said to Him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.'" (John 14:6).
It is only through humility, a confession of my sin, and dependence on His Son, Jesus (Who paid my sin-debt), that I can enter that relationship with God the Father.
Now we all know this little six-year-old does not stand in the place of God, nor should she express a sinful arrogance, but there is a time and place to lovingly serve and a time and place to lovingly confront. I don't know which path she chose--which path have you chosen? The one that leads toward God, or the one that lead away?
Cute story :) I can think of too many times in my own life that I somehow expected that God would operate on my terms - my wishes, desiers, conditions. How foolish. We were talking last night of God's providence in using just what we need to speak to us, and in this case, we can see through a child's interaction just how selfish we are.
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