The Rebellious Child

“My people are foolish and do not know me,” says the Lord. “They are stupid children who have no understanding. They are clever enough at doing wrong, but they have no idea how to do right!”

Jeremiah 4:22 NLT

There are moments in my week, mornings that I wake up, days that I believe I somehow have a firm grasp on reality, that I somehow understand how to live, how to love, how to speak, how to act. I start to believe in myself, my ways, my intellect, my understanding. Me. Me. Me.

I find myself on the verge of removing God from the equation of my life. I find myself teetering on the edge of faith in the cross of Christ and faith in the works of my hands. I find myself tip-toeing between God’s grace and my intellect. When I’m struggling, when life is tough, it’s easy to trust in and rely on God, but when life seems to turn around, it’s even easier to believe that I have conquered it. I have beaten it. I have overcome it.

In Jeremiah, God likens his people to fools, to stupid children with no understanding. God clearly states that we are great at doing the wrong thing. We are experts at failing. We find ourselves returning again and again to the very things that led us to cry out to God in the first place. On our own, the right thing remains just out of reach.

Sometimes children simply need to be redirected. Wrong behaviors need to be addressed. Yelling tears them down. Intimidation instills fear. Time and time again God extends His grace to encourage and build up His people, His children. He’s constantly trying to teach us, to instruct us, to lead us.

Ever grow frustrated with your own children? Can you relate to their rebellion?

Are you reaching out for guidance or are you focused on the routine of your day, sticking to what is familiar, fearing change, living according to your own standards? Listen to what He’s saying. Make a few changes.