Unless you are converted and become like a little child, you can’t enter the kingdom of heaven. That’s what Jesus said. (See Matthew 18:3) If you were asked, “What is the main activity of a child?” what would you say? You would probably answer, “To play.” A playful attitude may be the most spiritual attitude a Christian can have. What better way to show our absolute trust in a sovereign Father who tends to every detail of our lives? Just play. What an act of faith that would be!How will you play if you insist on taking responsibilities beyond that of a child? A child’s only role is to enjoy the moment. A child never worries about the future. He only embraces the joys that are before him, however simple, however short lived. He has no elaborate plans. He has no need to control the flow of events. He adapts to any circumstance where he may find himself and turns it into a game. He just plays.
The world is a playground for a child. While others hurry around with urgent tasks which drain them of their zest for living, a child just lives. He takes no thought of the things that worry the adult world. He intrinsically knows that, in the end, matters take care of themselves.
“What about responsibility?” you may ask. I assume you know I’m not advocating abandoning responsibility. Of course you’ll balance this encouragement to play with common sense. I’m not worried that most adults will carry this encouragement to play to the extreme. Far from it, the opposite tends to be the case in the adult world.
So relax and play. Your Father has given you the privilege of living as a child – His child. Learn to adapt the mind of a child, the flow of a child’s rhythm for living, the trust of a child’s heart and the eagerness of a child’s attitude. Learn to see Him in every situation and then relax. He has all the details already prepared and they are being worked out for your good and His glory at this very moment.
Joyfully embrace every day and live with the certainty that your Father’s heart is set on you and on the purpose of thrilling you with His love. Let Him love the bondage of adulthood from your heart until it is filled only with a childlike attitude that trusts Him and embraces the world with enthusiasm.
Can you explain what this means? "Let Him love the bondage of adulthood from your heart until it is filled only with a childlike attitude that trusts Him and embraces the world with enthusiasm". How can God love bondage from my heart? Agnes
ReplyDeleteWould somebody like to respond to grace's question? Just to get another perspective?
ReplyDeleteBondage is bad, its what its name implies; it imprisons a person. I think the phrase: "Let Him love the bondage of adulthood from your heart" means for one to let God's love penetrate so deeply that it actually overwhelms the heart of a person and at that point, there is no room for the bondage in one's heart.
ReplyDeleteOne typically thinks of God breaking in and removing someone from bondage; however this statement says to me that the bondage is in someone and that God's love (or the act of God loving) removes the bondage.
My 2 cents :-)
2 cents well spent :)
ReplyDeleteStart with defining bondage...what it means literally & also what it means personally in relation to our intimacy with Christ. Merriam-Websters defines bondage as, "1 : the tenure or service of a villein, serf, or slave
ReplyDelete2 : a state of being bound usu. by compulsion (as of law or mastery): as a : captivity, serfdom b : servitude or subjugation to a controlling person or force". Bondage binds us up. It is the opposite of freedom. Christ set us free. Anything (any stronghold) that we cling to in our self efforts (a.k.a. "adulthood responsibilities" or "behavior type patterns")...that becomes a source for us to meet our needs or expectations outside of Christ himself. So becoming a rigid, rule-following, authoritarian (a replica of what some people may even view our heavenly Father as) adult whose joy (Jesus) is zapped because their performance in the real world is exhausting, would be the "bondage of adulthood". Where as resting in the lap, in the arms of a tender, romantic, beautiful, agape loving Jesus, removes all of the chains of bondage and He can renew our minds and teach us...heal us...love us into true intimacy. Relaxing in the arms of Christ. A baby held by an adoring mother. A toddler thrown into the air by his Father. A child smiling knowing we are 100% accepted, as is...and that He will take care of us.
Another 2 cents.
Jessica
I love this discussion! Thanks for kicking it off. Perhaps I'm an information junky; but I really did appreciate the definition that Jessica posted here.
ReplyDeleteFor the past 6 weeks, I keep coming back to Psalm 107. It shows how kind and merciful the Father is to us (the undeserving). Notice that the word "bound" is used. Also notice that those bound, cried out and immediately God rescued them. You can see that He did it immediately because it is in the same sentence as where they cried out. Also notice that God cuts their chains in pieces. And at the end, it shows the strength of God and how he breaks gates of bronze and cuts bars in two in order to release us from our bondage.
10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
Bound in affliction and irons—
11 Because they rebelled against the words of God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High,
12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor;
They fell down, and there was none to help.
13 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
And broke their chains in pieces.
15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
16 For He has broken the gates of bronze,
And cut the bars of iron in two.
thank you all for your "2 cents" The Lord is setting me free from bondage little by little and the answers from you are helping me. Thanks again, Grace
ReplyDeleteImagine the joys of a child! I do! This world could take the joys of play from us or at least attempt it but: "thank God Almighty I'm free, I'm free at last."
ReplyDeleteThose words of Dr. King meant much too as a child being five in '62 and I made the choice then to let childlike play stay mine and with me back then and as I grew older I made it a part of my grace walk in Christ as well! Thank you Steve! Excellent Blog!