Oh, that
six-year-old of ours…
My husband Kenya entered our bedroom stifling laughter and pulling the door closed behind him, whispering something unintelligible.
“What?” I smiled reflexively, simultaneously confused and curious.
“What did Kaleb come in here and ask you for?” he replied to my question with a question.
“He asked me for a snack,” I responded, trying to grasp the purpose of the query.
“Did you tell him yes?” Kenya asked, to which I responded affirmatively. Then he sat down on the bed and began speaking in a muted tone, recounting the story.
“So, Kaleb came running down the stairs to ask for something, but then, when he got over to me, it seemed like he thought about it and then, just paused.”
I still wasn’t following.
Kenya continued.
“He started walking backwards and when he saw Kedar coming over to me to ask, he whispered to his brother slyly, ‘No, you can’t trust him!’ But Kaleb didn’t know I could hear.”
Immediately, I burst into laughter at the thought of Kaleb strategizing and angling to ensure that he and his big brother Kedar asked the parent who was most likely to give them what they wanted… me.
In his six short years of life, our smart-as-a-whip youngest son has decoded the personalities and tendencies of his mom and dad. The little tyke knows I’m the softy.
Kenya and I were tickled by the “You can’t trust him” comment from the leader of the covert operation.
Funny, funny, funny.
Though Kaleb’s idea was pretty smart and harmless, and resulted in him getting the snack he wanted, when we employ such methods in our spiritual walk, we just may end up in trouble.
When we decide that we want what we want and proceed to follow what we think is the best path toward getting it, this sort of drive and selfish ambition eventually leads to destruction.
It is much better and wiser to ask God for the things we desire, while always remaining open to His will, even when it differs from our own. Furthermore, it is important that we pray that our will is continually conformed to His, so we can willingly walk in harmony with God’s plan for us. This is the kind of mindset that will help us avoid fleshly pursuits that cause us to compromise for the sake of attaining the things we desire to have.
Our flesh can be cunning, conniving, and crafty. We must not indulge or appease it; otherwise, we will become morally corrupt schemers, unfit to receive anything from the Lord.
To show you the kind of person God does not want us to be, I’m stirring James 4:2-3 NLT into your cup of inspiration. It says, “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.”
Wow! That’s a pretty bad state to be in, don’t you agree?
When you drink down the contents of your cup today, I want you to meditate on James 4:2-3. Strive always to walk in the spirit as Galatians 5:16 instructs, so you won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Submit your will to God, so your human nature won’t drive you to seek after and pursue ways to get the things you want at any cost.
Surrender your heart, desires and plans to the Lord, and let your ultimate desire be to stay on the path God has set for you.
Now let’s pray.
God, I’m surrendering my heart, mind, will, and desires to You. I want what You want for my life above all else. By Your power, please help me keep my flesh under subjection so selfish goals, ambitions and wrong attitudes won’t keep me from obtaining what you have for me, or prevent me from fulfilling Your perfect will for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
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