Daddy, Judah's not listening to God.Is God talking to Judah?
Yeah.
What's God saying to him?
Give me your Transformer.
So, God wants Judah's Transformer?
Yeah.
So whats God gonna do with Judah's Transformer?
He's wants me to have it.
___________
From the mouth of a four year old, “Thus saith the Lord”.
Having a wide array of appeals, rebuttals, and closing arguments, Jaden’s conniving can be as creative as it is convincing but his appeal to the Divine Authority made my day. As with most kids his age he has a pension for challenging authority, being regularly reminded of the “chain of command”: God, Daddy & Mommy, and the four boys…
“But Daddy, can I be in charge after you and Mommy?”
Relentless
Certainly his words bring a smile, but they got me thinking. Who could blame the boy in claiming divine sanction for self-centered gain? It is a brilliant tactic. For if in fact the Almighty did request Optimus Prime, who should stand in his way? Oh, you scheming little son of mine.
Of course as an adult I readily embrace the chain of command, being quite positive that I have never stooped this low....you know better. We've all known the subtle temptation to break rank, the ease in which our self-determined actions can feel so right, so god-centered. Who among us hasn't at some point declared, "God wants Judah's Transformer." God has sanctioned many an activity: questionable marriages, switching churches, the castigation of family members, changing neighborhoods, on an on it goes. The list is potentially endless, in that our desire for autonomy is never ending.
But the question for the moment, how do we know? How can we tell when we've crossed the line, when we are in fact using god's leading to sanction our selfish desires? Weigh in, share your thoughts and expereinces and get your hands off my Transformer!
Grace and Peace
That's a tough question, especially in today's Christian community. A good friend of mine always waits before making decisions until she has scripture to confirm it. That way, if any question arises later, she has Scripture to assure her that it was, in fact, God's movement that caused her to make the decision in the first place. I think that's a great step to take. But sometimes our decisions have to take place swiftly. In those cases, my criteria are - will this edify the body of Christ or tear it down? Will this make a positive impact on the Kingdom? If we have sincerely sought God's direction on something and there is still doubt, I say wait. God makes things very clear in His time. If we haven't sought His will and we are doubting ourselves, chances are, it wasn't sanctioned by Him in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jason for your blog. I love reading the things God shows you. Keep it up. You really have a gift and should really consider publishing your works.
Jason, I love your blog and always love reading stories about your and Janna's precious boys. Unfortunately, I am a lot like little Jaden wanting the transformer, then once I get it after much debate with myself, I realize if I would have waited, things might have changed. Judah may have given me the transformer, I may have become content with what I already had or even received something better. I agree with Kim. In this busy world we are many times trying to rush God. We must learn to wait on God's timing. He is our creator, he knows what makes us work best, even better than we know ourselves. Be still and know that I am God.
ReplyDeleteThis makes me laugh. First, this is so Jaden. Second, he is your child. Y'all make me laugh! Also, I was thinking as I read this how much I WANT and make it happen on my own. I love when I can't make it happen and HAVE to wait on God. Sadly, there are times and I can make it happen. I wonder how many things I have missed or what blessings I didn't get because I was so quick to do things on my own. I love that you are blogging now!
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