Toddlers are not known for their willingness to submit. Have you ever watched a toddler straining against his mother’s hand? They yank in every direction (I’m convinced the laws of physics must somehow be in favor of these tiny tykes), flopping like a dead fish upon the floor dramatically, desperately bargaining for more snacks, more time, etc.
It’s almost humorous to watch such a display (it’s far less humorous when you are the mother bodily dragging a child out of the room). We shake our heads at these tiny tyrants, and yet we fail to see that often we act like toddlers with God!
“He leadeth me, O blessed thought” says Joseph Gilmore in his hymn. But it only feels blessed when it’s in the direction I’ve already determined! Self-denial? Service to others? The demands of self-discipline? I arch my back in defiance too often!
A large part of a mother’s job is to teach her child to willingly submit. Safely crossing parking lots is a worthy goal for a toddler. But there are many bigger authorities a child must learn to submit to: Teachers, coaches, bosses, police officers and more!
Of course, God is the ultimate authority: if we do not learn to submit to him in this life, we will spend an eternity in punishment. Yes, we must teach our children to submit. But we must also learn to be good followers ourselves, to willingly be led by Jesus and be able to say as he did: “nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
Photo by Lights Space on Unsplash
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