Out of the mouth of babes

Sometimes it is uncanny how easily kids grasp things that adults, because of our philosophies and ideologies, have trouble grasping.

My middle son, Jaden, who isn't exactly known for liking dinner, noticed tonight that he liked this one (an Italian dish called a frittata) because the eggs hid the flavor of the green herbs and seasonings that were in it. (He likes scrambled eggs, but is pretty turned off by anything green.) I, on the other hand, commented that I liked it because I could taste the herbs and seasonings.

"That's funny," he said. "We're opposites."

"Even though God put you in the same family by birth" his older brother Sam said, totally unscripted.

Jaden's little sister Ashley, adopted into the family, noted that God didn't put her in the family by birth. She agreed that God did indeed put her in the family, though.

As the conversation went on, it struck me how easy it was to make the parallel to the family of God, and it became a great "teachable moment." Christians can be, on many things, opposites in their tastes, preferences, and intellectual attainment. Just as an eight year old, complete with his limited understanding of the world, can be in the same family as a 36 year old, Christians of all intellects are put into the same family through both adoption (Romans 8:15) and birth (John 3:3), put there by the divine providence of God (1 Corinthians 12:18).

_________________________

Romans 15:1-7 - We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me." For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

Join the discussion - Dicuss this post