Food is a struggle with my going-on-two-year-old. Usually she begs "eat, eat" all day long...until she's sitting at her high chair with five bites of her food gone, asking to get "owk."
"Are you going to eat your food?" I ask.
"Es, es," Marie says, nodding her blond head seriously.
I wait a moment while she stares at me. "Marie, eat your food." She continues staring. "Marie. Eat your food. Obey mama." (Here's where I would put the period after every word if I didn't strongly dislike the practice.)
She continues staring.
"Do you understand me?" I ask.
"Es, es," she says, nodding.
"Then eat!" More staring.
"Marie. Pick up your food. Put it in your mouth."
She picks out a kernel of corn and looks at it. Looking back at me, she puts it back on her plate.
This scenario happens frequently. And it's not just Marie who does it. I think, especially as women (and men too, I suppose, but my experience is with the women) who have known spiritual things for years, we can be just like Marie is with me with God.
We hear God's Word and we say we know what it means. But anyone who sees what's going on is confused by the disconnect between what we agree we should do in Bible study and what we actually do in our lives.
How many Bible study questions have you answered with pray? When you are anxious, what should you do? Pray. How should you respond when there's a situation beyond your control? Pray. What do you need to do to become closer to God? Pray. But how many times has answering that application question made a significant change in your prayers?
Prayer is just the situation that is on my heart. Yours may be different. Still, isn't there something you've studied and know, but despite all your resolutions to otherwise, still aren't doing anything about?
Do you hear God asking you, "Child, do you understand?"
And we say, "Yes, God. I need to pray."
God pauses, and then, ever so patient, knowing our hearts, asks, "Are you going to?"
"Yes," we reply. Like the disobedient son, we say we are going. And if we're doing better than usual, the next day we sit down to pray until we remember that we need to do the dishes and we hear the baby crying.
Thankfully God is more patient with us than I am with Marie. Yet I am just like her. "Yes, Father, I understand. I am going to pray." But any intention I have of following through doesn't show fruit.
Marie, I think, understands. But she doesn't want to obey. She knows she's not supposed to say no to Mom, so she says yes. But she has no intention of eating her food. Sometimes I am merciful and put the food in her mouth for her. Other times, I make her do it herself.
Praise God that He doesn't stop urging us to obey. We say we understand. After all, His Law is written in our hearts.
But will we act?
We hear God's Word and we say we know what it means. But anyone who sees what's going on is confused by the disconnect between what we agree we should do in Bible study and what we actually do in our lives.
How many Bible study questions have you answered with pray? When you are anxious, what should you do? Pray. How should you respond when there's a situation beyond your control? Pray. What do you need to do to become closer to God? Pray. But how many times has answering that application question made a significant change in your prayers?
Prayer is just the situation that is on my heart. Yours may be different. Still, isn't there something you've studied and know, but despite all your resolutions to otherwise, still aren't doing anything about?
Do you hear God asking you, "Child, do you understand?"
And we say, "Yes, God. I need to pray."
God pauses, and then, ever so patient, knowing our hearts, asks, "Are you going to?"
"Yes," we reply. Like the disobedient son, we say we are going. And if we're doing better than usual, the next day we sit down to pray until we remember that we need to do the dishes and we hear the baby crying.
Thankfully God is more patient with us than I am with Marie. Yet I am just like her. "Yes, Father, I understand. I am going to pray." But any intention I have of following through doesn't show fruit.
Marie, I think, understands. But she doesn't want to obey. She knows she's not supposed to say no to Mom, so she says yes. But she has no intention of eating her food. Sometimes I am merciful and put the food in her mouth for her. Other times, I make her do it herself.
Praise God that He doesn't stop urging us to obey. We say we understand. After all, His Law is written in our hearts.
But will we act?
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