I can do it myself!

I can do it myself!

If you’ve ever tried to get a toddler dressed in the morning, you are probably familiar with those times when you are in a rush to get out the door, and they are adamant that they are going to do everything for themselves at a snail’s pace. 

They don’t understand that you’re going to miss the train and that they only come once every thirty minutes. They don’t understand that wearing sandals in the middle of winter is not a good thing. 

Our relationship with our father God is like that. As humans we are like stubborn toddlers, not accepting help, thinking that we can do everything for ourselves. 

This week I was thinking about how to juggle all my work, and planning out what I was going to do and when, and feeling so stressed and exhausted, and then I stopped myself. 

I had just been to a church sermon where my pastor had talked about taking all the burdens on himself, and how he’d once developed shingles from the stress of it all, because he didn’t give his burdens to God, and here was I doing the exact same thing, even though I’d listened to a half hour talk four days ago, about why not to do that! 

The funny thing about us humans, is we’re not as clever as we think we are.  

In the greater cosmic scheme of things, we are still toddlers, gradually growing up.

Satan tells the toddlers, you are so stylish, you can pick your own outfit, you can wear it however you like. But in the parent’s eyes we just end up looking ridiculous.  

Jesus said, ‘lay down your heavy burden and I will give you rest.’ 

As someone who was pretty content and happy with my life before I discovered God was real I had no idea that I was carrying a heavy burden, that I was like a stubborn toddler who didn’t even realise I had a parent! 

I had taken the weight of trying to do it all myself, and not only that I was working in a helping role, helping others, while I didn’t know the most important thing about our reality; that as much as we can help and support each other, there is a God-shaped hole inside of all of us. 

If you grew up in the 80’s you may remember these ‘Choose your own adventure’ books where you would read and get different options for how the story is going to play out. As fun as it is, there are some pretty dire endings if you don’t make the right choice.

There’s a God who knows the entire story of human existence, the beginning and the ending, and you can talk to him, and he will tell you every step of the way which path is the best to take. 

It’s not ‘religion,’ it’s the creator God of the universe, whispering in your ear, telling you the next step at every junction. It may not be a literal audible voice, but the more space and quiet you make in your life, the clearer the guidance appears. 

We are at a dramatic point in the story, and it’s not a time to be choosing random pathways when we don’t know the outcome. It’s a time to truly humble ourselves, and call out a prayer, Dear God, I thought I had all the answers. I’ve spent a lifetime trying to figure it all out for myself, without being aware of your existence. If you are real God, I ask for your forgiveness for all the times I’ve ignored you and done the opposite of what you would want for me. Jesus, I invite you into my life, to take my heavy burden, and show me the way. If you are real, I will follow you, Amen.