The Toddler's Gospel - The Crosswalk Devotional - September 18

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The Toddler’s Gospel
By Peyton Garland

Bible Reading:
“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 (NIV)

I thought I had the Lord figured out in my late twenties. I had finally untangled lots of lies that I was subjected to in an unhealthy church culture. I had undergone counseling to work through childhood hardships and relational struggles. I was praying all the prayers, reading all the Bible studies, and holding myself accountable through godly friendships. By all “good Christian” standards, I had ensured my mind, body, and soul were healthily aligned with God’s truth. 

My faith was unshakeable… but then I became a mother, and my perception of myself and God was turned upside down. 

I endured heavy post-partum depression and wasn’t sure I would ever find hope again. The hormonal changes were drastic, and my mind couldn’t keep up with my body’s ever-changing state. Meanwhile, family members who promised to support us in this new season didn’t show. It seemed life handed us constant disappointments.

But my son’s smile, his little giggle, was my glimpse at heaven. His innocence was a treasure trove of joy I could open on my worst days. He was the reason I clung to my shaken belief that God was good. 

After nearly seven months of intensive therapy, hard conversations with family, and lots and lots of praying, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. My body slowly regained its stability, and I discovered a new fervor for understanding the God who had handcrafted the angel I cradled every day.  

But with this new fervor came a new sense of humility, of recognizing just how little control I have over life and how often my failures pile high. This fervor for my faith shifted from being about me to being about the nature of God. If the sermon, the podcast, the devotional, etc., wasn’t about His heart, I wasn’t interested. My heart had experienced too much hurt and, I’ll be honest, self-loathing to mold the gospel around me. 

I wanted something more sure and steady. I wanted God. He was the only one who could keep my head above water. He was the only one who could truly protect my baby. 

I’m now in the toddler season of motherhood, where faith and patience are tried by fire. My days are filled with scrubbing peanut butter off walls, fishing toy tractors out of the toilet, and saying (for the five-millionth time that day), “No, sir!” It’s mentally taxing work, but my son continues showing me the heart of the Father. He does so with three simple (garbled, phonetically incorrect) words: “Hewp!”, “Pease,” and “Sowwy.” 

If these three words aren’t the foundation for the gospel, I’m not sure what else is. After all, aren’t we often God’s toddlers, running wild, doing as we please, no matter how selfish or spiritually dangerous? Shiny things catch our eye, and we chase whatever is in front of us without thinking. It’s no wonder so many of our prayers start with, “Help!” 

If it’s been a while since you asked God for help, consider this one-word prayer and the humility it presses on your heart. 

“Please” is placing power in another’s hands, allowing them to grant or deny your request. My little one doesn’t enjoy it when his “Pwease” is followed by my “No, sir!” But aren’t we often like my toddler? We easily believe that asking is all it takes for a prayer to be granted. If we’re nice enough, we think we can manipulate God, and if we don’t get our way, we throw spiritual tantrums. We bail on church and neglect our Bibles. 

But what if “Please” was an honest request, where we shared heartfelt desires that ended with, “... nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:43, ASV)? How much healthier would our hearts be, regardless of getting our way or not, if this became our new prayer?

My son loves to rough play, but sometimes, his idea of play is a bit too violent. When our little guy disobeys, we tell him to say he is sorry, and we then explain to him, in simple toddler terms, why we don’t do x, y, or z. Needless to say, in this life season, “Sowwy” is on repeat. 

It’s still hard for him to understand why he should apologize, but simply hearing that word from him melts my heart. And I fervently believe that when we repent, even when we don’t understand all the hurt we’ve caused, I believe it melts God’s heart, too. Repentance changes things, and I encourage you to search your heart for the reasons you might owe others and/or God an “I’m sorry.” 

My toddler has shifted my perspective on the gospel. He has shown me what true humility is and how my need for control is useless. I’ve discovered how simple but beautiful my faith can be when I keep a heartfelt “Help,” “Please,” and “Sorry” in my daily prayers. 

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

Take a few moments to list the ways you could implement a vulnerable prayer of “Help”, “Please,” and “Sorry” into your daily conversations with God. 

Further Reading:
6 Prayers of Peace for Moms Choosing to Stay at Home
Bible Verses about Children - Scriptures for Kids and Parents

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Bohdan Bevz 

Peyton Garland is an author, editor, and boy mama who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee. Subscribe to her blog Uncured+Okay for more encouragement.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com! 

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