So a couple weeks ago I celebrated my 25th birthday. Pretty important birthday, it means I finally get to rent a car after all. But as I look back at the past few years I notice that I’m growing up, becoming an adult. After 25 years you’d think its about time eh? So in today’s society what does it mean to grow up? It’s pretty straight forward: get a job, get through school, work on your career, become independent, have a stable income, provide for yourself, get married, have children, etc… But what defines an adult to most people? The question that comes to most people is: “Do they provide for themselves?”. If you can get your own food, pay rent and bills, and not have to ask for help from the ‘rents then by most you’d be considered an adult. Perhaps not a mature adult but that’s another story. So to be an adult, you need to be independent. Or in lamens terms: stressed.
In the most recent months and years, though, I’ve come to learn a different way of thinking. I tried providing for myself, depending on my own strength and willpower to provide everything that I need, to work through emotional and financial situations by myself. I found that while sometimes I may not always fail at those things, and most of the times I do, I never really succeeded at them either. My finances were never in order, emotional wounds lingered and festered, I had no vision or direction for my life. I just couldn’t do it.
After the longest time of doing it my way, I was talking to someone at my church about the most recent failed attempt at making something happen and I was enlightened with a little nugget of information that is TOTALLY counter-culture. She told me that “In order to be a great man of God, you first have to learn how to be a great SON of God.” Hold up. So to be a successful individual as an adult, I have to learn how to be a child? Well… ya. Let me explain.
In today’s world independence is EVERYTHING. What can you do on your own? And let’s be honest here, there’s a heck of a lot that needs to be done. And there’s even more that’s already been done, and there will ever be more to do later. Ever felt that stress that there’s just entirely too much to do and not enough time, money, or energy to do it with? You know what I’m talking about. I’d wager that most of you reading this are feeling that right now. Slow your roll, broseph.
Remember what it was like to be a kid? I bet your first thought when you woke up wasn’t “How am I going do (insert task here) or pay (insert whatever bills here) or get through (insert life crisis or difficult time here)?” When you woke up it was “What cartoon to watch today?” or “Man I really don’t wanna go to school!” Simpler times huh? Parents provided you with what you needed and your job was to be a kid and enjoy life. And you know what? It should still be that way! Granted we have a couple more responsibilities such as jobs, kids, spouses, etc… but you still have a heavenly Father who wants to, and will, provide you and direct you in EVERYTHING you do! Stop being so independent and become TOTALLY dependent on GOD!!
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you- you of little faith? So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)
Phew. That was long, thanks for sticking it out. But let’s think about that and really soak that in. To me, that’s a kick in the teeth. That is face-melting realtalk. And if you’re a Christ follower, what excuse do you have for not taking this in and living it out? And if you’re not a believer or are checking out this Christianity thing, listen up! You have a heavenly Father that loves you ridiculously (that has become my new favorite adjective for the love of God). He wants to provide you with everything you have ever and will ever need. He cares for you so much that He sacrificed His Son to be murdered by the very people He was sent to save! For you! Personally, you, yourself! Not the guy living down the street (but at the same time for the guy living down the street) but for YOU. Knowing everything that you have done up to now, and everything that you will do later, He still loves you, He still sacrificed for you, and He wants to give you more and better things than you could dream up. Sound crazy? Well to us, it is. “How great is God — Beyond our understanding!” Job 36:26.
All He want’s from us is to be His children. Depend on Him and Him alone. Listen to Him, talk to Him, learn about Him, and to LOVE Him. That’s it. No fancy rituals, no strings attached, no magic words. Just believe and love Him and develop a relationship with Him. If someone has told you that you have to do “x” to become saved and it’s not “to believe” then read Luke 23:33-43. To sum it up Jesus was crucified with 2 criminals who had committed crimes worthy of death. One criminal mocked Jesus as all three hung from their crosses. The second simply said “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” and Christ responded, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” The criminal did nothing but believe and he was saved. He wasn’t baptized, he didn’t give confessions, nor did he profess his faith in front of a crowd. Simple belief and the love of your heavenly Father will save you.
For those that want to be a kid again, you have the opportunity. Depend on God for everything that you need and enjoy a life filled with blessings. Just take those worries and stresses and give them to God. What can YOU do about them anyways? “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Be a kid, let God be your father and do for you what only the perfect Father can. Everything.
