It’s Not About ME (Application)

A few weeks ago, I talked about busyness and how it often causes us to make our worlds all about ourselves. In that, I touched upon the human phenomenon of constantly striving to do everything on our own in our own way without seeking first God’s plans and ways. Today I provide you a real-life example of what that looks like. We can thank my three-year-old friend “Max” for the simple yet profound metaphor.

I love kids. Their energy, their craziness, their creativity, their lack of self-consciousness. One of my favorite kids, Max, exudes all of these things and brings me much joy because of it. Max has recently discovered the world of video games (low-tech, v-tech, Handy Manny style), and he is hooked! Recently I sat beside him as he excitedly turned on his gadget anxious to play a specific game he had in mind. After turning on the machine, he ran to grab the controller to get to his game as fast as he could. The only problem is, while Max knew exactly what he wanted, the system is too sophisticated for his three-year-old self to operate on his own. Thus, in a matter of seconds, chaos ensued as Max frantically shook the controller, pounded buttons, and pointed at the screen, shouting, “I want that game! I want that game!” To me, the solution was a no-brainer: Max simply needed to hand me the controller. After all, I possessed the knowledge necessary to efficiently give him exactly what he desired, and without burden. However, Max did not agree with my proposed solution, but rather yelled, “NO! I want to do it! I’ll do it myself!” And we’re back to the frantic shaking, desperate button pushing, and superfluous frustration.

Did I possess the physical strength and authority necessary to simply force the controller out of Max’s hands and get the job done? Of course! Did I do it? Of course not! Although I was well aware of what Max wanted, and not only knew how, but desired to get him there, I also knew that part of his growth and development depended on struggling through his choices and learning from his frustrations.

As I sat back on the couch, my mind reeled wondering if this is how God feels with us. Like I did with Max, God knows exactly what we desired and desires to show us how to get there. However, like Max, don’t we more often than not clench the controller of our lives and yell, “NO! I want to do it! I’ll do it myself!”? However, whereas Max ended in the frustration of not reaching the game he had in mind, we end up in pits of disappointment, stagnation, and unfulfilled hopes. And rather than turn to God and surrender the controller, we look at him embittered and scarred and say, “If you’re all powerful and all knowing, why didn’t you do anything?” The most basic parenting informs us that children cannot develop if everything is done for them, yet we feel justified thinking that if God really loved us he would forcefully intervene at every twist. Why should it be any different? He calls us his children, after all, right?

So today I challenge you to think about Max’s situation as a metaphor for God’s work in your life. Ask yourself how you respond when you just can’t find your way to your desired destination. Do you turn to God as the all-knowing Giver of all good things, or clench as hard as you can, yelling “NO! I want to do it! I’ll do it myself!”? No matter how old you are, what skills/knowledge you possess, or what you’ve been through, I challenge you to consider that maybe in the eyes of God, we will always be children in need of a loving, wise hand to guide us. Consider that maybe in our times of frustration, he isn’t absent at all, but rather standing right beside us saying, “I know what you want. Just give me the controller. I would love to show you the way.”