A thought dawned on me the other day as I was taking care of my nephew, Finn. He’s about 3 years old now and loves to talk! When he was first learning how to talk, it was refreshing to hear him say, “I want a drink,” or “I need to go potty.”
The guessing game ended, and we were happy to meet his needs. But as he got older, things started to change. I started to notice it on a family trip this summer.
Everything was, “I want this or I want that.” When he was a bit younger, it was perfectly fine and we even enjoyed that he could communicate these things to us.
But now, as he is getting older, he is having to learn that life isn’t about what he wants. Instead of running into grandma and grandpa’s house yelling, “I want _____!” he will start to learn how to spend time with them, give hugs, and go without apple juice once in a while. This is all a normal part of maturity.
As I was pondering all of this, it dawned on me that I have been acting like a 3-year-old with God. When I spend time with Him it’s, “I want, I need and so on.” I forgot what it meant to simply spend time with God and show appreciation.
I had started a habit of basing my relationship with God on wants and needs. Even though we may have realistic and even healthy needs and wants, they are not the be all and end all of our spiritual lives. How often do we spend on our knees for others?
How often do we worship and praise God outside of church? Do we even recognize that God desires to spend time with us? God wants us to know more of Him and He eagerly awaits the opportunity to pour into us, teach us, disciple us and love us.
When we act like spiritual babies and desire nothing more from God than for Him to meet our needs, we limit what He can do for us and through us. We stop maturing spiritually. I want to live close with God and know His heart. I’ll be the first to admit my spiritual immaturity, and I’m ready to take steps to maturity!
Bailey Riza is a young, passionate, up-and-coming voice in the music industry. A worship leader, songwriter and recording artist, she has a wealth of experience and a dynamic approach to teaching and leading. She is a member of the Faith Alive Band and travels throughout North America performing and ministering in many different arenas. Her songs have been featured on the Faith Alive Show as well as on Daystar Television Network. Her latest EP, Coming Alive, topped the iTunes charts in Canada! She was born and raised in Saskatoon, Sk, Canada, and attends Faith Alive Family Church, where her parents are senior pastors. She loves her family, church and country and has a zeal to see this generation experience a powerful outpouring of God’s presence.
