neoteny

"And He said: 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'"
Matthew 18:3-4

Neoteny is "the retention of youthful qualities by adults." Qualities like: curiosity, playfulness, eagerness, fearlessness, warmth, energy, open, willing to take risks, hungry for knowledge and experience, courageous, eager to see what the new day brings...Children know no limits...They can do anything...or at least try anything at least once...no hindrances...they are full of creativity and drive...it's amazing...

The sad part about all of this is that these qualities are repressed as they get older...society...the church..."authorities" begin to tell them/us that it is not ok to be unique...it's not productive to be creative...one must conform to the way everyone else does things...looks at things...just because this is what we do...what we know...so we become self-conscience...fearful...timid...we limit ourselves...we limit God...or like Mark Batterson puts it in his book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day , "we become small people with a small God."

So what do we do??? We must come back to the truth that we have been created to have limitless dreams and imaginations to serve a limitless God with unlimited resources...to believe in this truth...to hold on to it with all one's might...can you even imagine the possibilities of what God will do??? I mean really...I know I struggle with seeing my God in that light sometimes... I allow myself to be limited...I settle with conformity in order to not mess with the status quo...I know I do...so what can I change...I can change my attitude...I must fight the battle everyday, sometimes a hundred times...to not worry about what others will say or think...but to be filled with the Spirit...to focus on what He wants me to do and what He thinks of me and really that is all that matters...

What am I trying to say in all this...well, I guess that as of today I am making it my personal goal and challenge to come back to those childlike qualities I was created with and live my life through them...not being limited...not being afraid of looking foolish in the world's eyes...so please pray for me in this process...I know I can't do this alone.

By the way...I wanted to thank all of you eho responded to my last blog...I was so encouraged by all of you...Truly and deeply...thank you very much :)