A couple of years ago, I visited my youngest daughter when she was potty training my oldest grandson Rhett. I had been playing cars with Rhett in the living room, when I interrupted play time to take a quick bathroom break. A couple of minutes later the door flew open and two-year-old Rhett walked in and said, “Good job, Mimi! Flush it! Do you want some candy? He then pointed to the sink and suggested that I “wash hands.” Afterwards, he walked back in the living room and pooped his diaper. Well, at least he had the “training” part down.
As I changed my grandson that afternoon, James 1:22 came to mind. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (KJV)
Unfortunately, I can think of numerous times when I have deceived myself by hearing and even teaching information, without application. A “soft answer” sometimes goes out the window when I’m combating wrath, I don’t always look for the “way out” when I am being tempted, and I can’t even remember how many times I have failed to “trust in the Lord without leaning on my own understanding”. I have even been guilty of sitting in a poopy diaper of offense and bitterness while teaching a Bible study on forgiveness.
Thankfully, there are always new beginnings. A week later my grandson decided to act on what he knew (I think the candy rewards might have had something to do with it), and after a few days of practicing the “potty” part of potty training he was diaper free. As I participated in Rhett’s potty training, I thought about how, I also, had received more freedom whenever I had invested more effort in application than instruction, which brings another scripture to mind. Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (NIV)
Hmmm…maybe Rhett succeeded in potty training his Mimi after all.
Be abundantly blessed!
Jeannie