Stop Asking

A few weeks ago, at the start of Christmas vacation, every time my five-year-old started getting bored, he would say, "What can I do?" This had happened before, and I knew from experience that every suggestion I made would be met with resistance. In fact, I would not be able to make one suggestion that would be greeted with enthusiasm. And so I said, "You're not allowed to ask me anymore what you can do. You're five. You know what you can do. Decide for yourself."

As the words came out of my mouth, I knew God was trying to tell me something. As adults, we often do the same thing my five-year-old does. We ask God endlessly, "What can I do, God? What should I do?" I think God gets tired of it, just like I do. It's not that it's wrong of us to ask; it's just that God wants us to grow up a bit.

Who knows better than God the dreams, ideas, talents, and gifts that lie inside us? He put them there. He gave us hearts and minds. We have all the raw material. What will we build? Nobody given a pile of Lego bricks will build the same thing as the person next to them.

As Christians, we know our boundaries, just like my little guy does. He doesn't need to ask what he can do. He knows what he is not allowed to do in the house, but what he does is up to him. Those choices will define him as he grows. Will he put on a Zelda costume and swing a sword? Will he build with Legos? Will he play Minecraft? Every choice makes him more and more "him." I don't want to tell him what to do or who to be, I want to discover who he is.

What will you build? Who will you be? Your choices are yours and they define you. Stop asking, and start doing.