"I don't want to be big and strong!", said my 4-year-old daughter.
"But we need to eat our vegetables," I replied.
She asked, "So I can be big and strong?"
"Yes," I confirmed, to which she once again stated "I don't want to be big and strong!"
But here's the thing. She doesn't really have an issue with growing. It wasn't that she didn't want to mature. She just didn't want to eat her vegetables.
That made me think of us. We want what's best for us, but we don't want to do what's best for us. Whether that's wanting to be healthier while still eating cakes and cookies or wanting to get closer to God but failing to do what it takes to do so.
Getting closer to God means getting to know Him better. How do you get to know Him better? The same way you get to know anyone. You engage with them. You talk to them and allow them to talk to you.
That means we must pray to God, but we must also listen to God. Listening comes from hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). And although praying and listening to God is what's best for us, sometimes we refuse it. We refuse to grow... refuse to be bigger and better.... while yet still asking God to make us bigger and better.
But don't ask God to listen to you if you aren't willing to listen to Him. Too often we want God, The Provider but not God, The Counselor. Too often we give God our petitions, but we give the world our hearts. We give God our request but give the world and our flesh our ears.
God says don't fornicate, but the world says release your desires.
God says esteem Him and others more than yourself, but the world says put yourself first.
God says don't be given to much wine, but the world says drink until you pass out. YOLO!
But whose voice will you follow? Who will you give your ears to? Will you have your prayer request in God's hands with your heart in the world?
If you want God to be the head of your life, if you really want what's best for you, you will sometimes be called to do undesirable things... just as undesirable as vegetables are to a 4-year-old. He will call you to be big and strong, even when you don't want to be.
But it'll be for your good and His glory. And who knows? I ended up sprinkling a little seasoning salt and pepper on the veggies so that what's good for my daughter can also taste good to her.
If you stick with God long enough, what's good for you will start to taste good to you. You'll turn from sin and whatever goes against God because you'll want to please Him more than anyone, including yourself.
My dear reader, if God is calling you to "eat vegetables" and to do what is best for you but you are resisting due to the voice of the world or your own voice, please join me in a word of prayer.
Gracious Father, we come to you today thankful for the opportunity to come before your throne. Thank you for your darling Son, Jesus, and His Sacrifice. Lord, we know that you have called us to do what is right in your eyesight. To do what is best for our good and your glory.
But honestly God sometimes your way appears unsavory. The voice of the world and our own flesh drowns out your sweet call. God help us to do what we must to do your will. When we don't want to do it, please have mercy on our resistance and become our strength when we have no more.
We know your way is perfect, so help us to see and understand that your way will always be better than ours, regardless of our feelings. And when we don't want to do what is best, give us a desire and a taste to do it anyhow. We seal this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Alright, y'all! That's it! Have an amazing day and week. Take care and be blessed.
Quin Arrington is a Christian writer and author. Books available on Amazon at www.amazon.com/author/quinarrington