My Daughter will be a year old in a couple of weeks; and I can tell you that in this last year, I have learned a whole lot from just observing her.
One thing I have learned from Tiara is that parents are often the reason why children throw tantrums. Yes, we have always labeled babies as self-centered, which is arguably true… but there is a way it works. One of the first things we learned as Parents after we had Tiara, was that we could determine her routines and create a pattern for her quite easily. At first, it seemed a little rough, but it’s really amazing how quickly she adjusted and began to “expect” what we had told her (by repetition) would always come at certain times.
What they do when they sometimes cry, isn’t so much a reflection of an unwillingness to be considerate, as much as it is an indication of an unmet expectation.
“I always sleep at 8pm, it’s already 8:30pm and I can’t seem to find Mummy anywhere close by… yheeen!!”. “I’m usually on my 4th meal of the day by 1pm, what am I doing staring at this boring “water”melon song by 2pm, I’ve only eaten 3.5 times today…. wheeen!!”. “Yes, he’s cute, he even has a beard, which I kinda like… but he isn’t my Father… oga please drop me… yheeeeen!!”
I’m sure you get the gist. What we call self-centeredness in babies, perhaps isn’t, after all… it’s often the sound of an unmet expectation or a distortion of what they have defined as familiar. Remember, expectations are built based on repeated patterns. The child’s first cry is essentially a request to take her back to the cozy familiar womb where she had spent the last 9 months. She isn’t prepared for this…
Could this be what happens to spiritual babes too? The fact is that many spiritual babes often find it difficult to move away from old habits and turn new leaves. The fact that they aren’t used to being accountable or submitting to someone else. The fact that their former life didn’t seem to have any boundaries, and suddenly, the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is asking them to walk ONLY in the Spirit.
This is why every new babe in Christ must take in copious amounts of The Milk of The Word (1 Peter 2:2). What this Word does is to introduce them in a physical, intellectual, and emotional way, to what happened to them spiritually, the moment they gave their hearts to Jesus.
Our entire Christian Faith is all about catching up with the reality of what happened at the New Birth. It is an attempt to apprehend in a lifetime, what happened eternally in a moment.
The Word of God is actually God’s instrument of Change and Transformation. It is designed to progressively move us into the reality that is already existent in our spirits. The more a child grows, the better he/she can handle changes. It’s a sign of maturity to be able to adapt to the changes that life brings along. The children of Israel couldn’t. They got stuck up in Egypt when The Lord was calling them into a new world of supernatural experiences; change was the only thing constant on their path to Canaan but they couldn’t embrace it.
Are there areas in your life in which God wants to introduce you to a whole new level of grace, anointing, and expression, but your familiarity with the past wouldn’t let you give your future a chance? Are there ways you have remained a child and refused to grow up?
Today, cease to project your impressions and expectations on The Word, let The Word project its impressions on you, and be willing to entertain them. His thoughts are not your thoughts, so if you only look for your thoughts in His thoughts, you will never hear Him speak to you. Break all the strongholds, dogmas, and stereotypes creating molds for God to flow through and just let Him flow unhindered.
This week, open your heart and embrace the change God brings your way. Complaining and throwing tantrums are signs you’re against what God is bringing. See the opportunities; embrace them; look forward to them. That’s how you mature. That’s how you grow. That’s how you get transformed!
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. — Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. — Romans 12:1–2 KJV
Have a productive week ahead.
Dami Oguntunde