Oh To Have The Heart Like A Child

Yesterday I had a stand-off with a 3 year old. It wasn’t pretty and there was a moment when I thought I was going to cave, but I stood firm and after what seemed like an eternity, (but maybe just a few minutes) that 3 year old gave up and did what I asked her to do. Afterwards, was she mad at me for making her do something she didn’t want to do? No. She wanted to spend time with me. Today that 3 year old came running into my classroom and gave me a hug. All memories of yesterday, gone. It also appears that she understands that I mean what I say. Oh to have a heart like a child.

What I asked of her was not hard. I didn’t ask this thing of her because I was being mean and unreasonable. I asked this of her to make life easier on all of us.

It is hard to be disciplined. As we become adults, we get a lot of free reign. How dare anyone tell us what to do? As a Christian it is important to not think too highly of ourselves and feel offended when we are corrected. That is where humility comes into play. Afterwards, there is a beauty in humility, in the surrender, in the obedience.

 Philippians 2:1-11 says

1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,

4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

How do you know when you should stand up for yourself and stand your ground or when you should surrender? 1) Read Scripture.  2) Pray.  3) Ask a trustworthy friend.