Potty training and Jesus

Right now, as I type, my 3 year old son Deacon is lounging around in a pair of big boy Diego underwear. This is a big deal in our house because it signals the official launch of potty training for him.

Over the past couple of months we have been telling Deacon that he needs to potty train and have even dangled a few carrots here and there in front of him, promising him anything from a Super Man shirt that he really wants to a Wake Forest football. He responds well to these bribes, at least vocally. In theory, however, we haven't gotten all that fair.

Pee pee has gone in the potty pretty consistently but that's about it. The Pull-ups are a safety net for him and as for the other kind of stuff that goes in the potty...let's just say he's not that interested in putting it there yet. So today, I start playing hardball. If he's gonna insist on using the bathroom the lazy way, then he'll have to wear it a lot closer to his skin that normal.

So far so good. He had a little accident this morning but put the rest in the potty where it belonged. The funny thing about potty training my son is that he knows that he needs to do it and he can sense when it's time to go in the potty, but putting it in there is another story. He sometimes lacks that sense of urgency and is even willing to suffer the consequences of reacting too late, even if it means sitting in the mess he's made.

Sounds a lot like Christians, doesn't it? Followers of Christ are indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and part of His role is to convict us of sin and holiness (John 16:8-11). We know what we ought to do and avoid in the name of holiness and the Spirit does a great job of guiding us, yet how often do we avoid His prompting in favor of comfort and inactivity. We reason within ourselves: It's too hard to do the right thing. I don't feel like moving in that direction right now. If I go there, then it will cost me something. Sure, I know it's wrong, but I just want to look for a minute. How bad can that be?

Jesus was pretty specific about what it would cost to be His disciple - perhaps everything (see Luke 9:23-25 for just one example). At some point in the near future Deacon will understand this whole potty training thing and will no longer desire to sit in his own mess. How long will it take God's people to no longer desire to sit in their own messes and follow His leading? No less than our personal holiness and effectiveness for God's kingdom is at stake.