 We are pleased to offer a new eight part series on the subject of Childlike Faith by Mike Mason. Mike is a regular contributor to canadianchristianity.com and has edited excerpts from his book 'The Mystery of Children,' inspired by his own journey in parenting. This second 'Mystery' book was a follow up to his ECPA Gold Medallion award winning 'The Mystery of Marriage.'
[other pieces by Mike Mason]
When my daughter was young I'd often say to her, "Heather, you should be in bed by now." To this she would answer in an irritated tone, "Dad, I know," and then return contentedly to whatever she was doing. Whenever this happened I'd think, or sometimes say out loud, "No, Heather, you do not know. If you knew, you'd be in bed. To know is to do." I wish I had a nickel for every time Heather has said "I know" about something she does know but isn't doing anything about.
Aren't we the same way with God? My hunch is that about five percent of what we know about God (our theology) is genuinely helpful in the practice of holiness. As for the rest----maybe it's all just a plot for sidestepping the divine will? How often does the Lord speak to us and we answer, "Yes, Lord, I know," and then go on merrily about our business?
I suspect my greatest failing as a Christian has been pretending to know too much. In church I pretend to know how to conduct myself. In prayer meetings I pretend to know what to pray. Even with friends I may pretend to be relaxed and savvy when really I am not. Knowing too much is the bane of our sophisticated, technological society.
As a parent I'm impressed by how long it takes for a child to grow to maturity. Each stage has its appropriate capabilities and the process cannot, must not, be hurried.
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Yet we live in a time when childhood is disappearing, both in society and in the church.
God took 80 years to prepare Moses to lead the people of Israel, and Jesus Himself did not begin His ministry until the age of 30. Yet today we worry about Christians in their 20's who do not yet know what to do with their lives. Following the lead of our fast-paced, overworked culture, we take on too much responsibility too soon. We walk before we can crawl and run when we ought to be nursing at the breast.
"Like newborn babies," wrote Peter, "crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 Peter 2:2).
Many Christians are working hard for God but without tasting His goodness. Unwilling to live with the uncertainty of waiting on Him, they pretend to know His will prematurely. When the true call does come, they're too busy to hear it.
We seem to like the idea of being "born again"----but who wants to grow up again? Have you had your thirty hidden years yet? Or are you one of those Christians who never had a childhood?
One day when Heather was six I caught her standing on a chair and reaching up into the medicine cabinet to get a bottle of pills. Is this a picture of you? Are you content to be your right size? Or are you always trying to make yourself bigger than you are, reaching too high for powerful spiritual medicine?
Are you God's child or His adult?
February 6/2008
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