It was a rough moment
I stood holding my 2-year-old son and my 1-year-old daughter. They were crying. My mom was standing in front of me with a smile on her face, shaking her head. Just then, one of them barfed all over me. My mom laughed and said,
Payback’s a mutha, Joel
She wasn’t being mean; she was referring to the fact that I was now experiencing the reality of parenting. When I was younger I thought I knew more about parenting, along with everything else in life, than my parents did. I didn’t.
When you’re inexperienced, there’s a tendency to think you know more than you do. You think you can handle the associated duties and responsibilities, and even do a better job than those who have preceded you. You won’t, at least not at first.
The learning curve
Anything meaningful has time, understanding, discovery, and learning associated with it. Zeal to do something must be combined with the cost of gaining the knowledge of how to do it. This applies to things as simple as having a pet, to things as precious as parenting, but also to the calling and purposes God has for your life.
God told Elijah to choose Elisha as the prophet who would follow him. When Elijah saw Elisha he put his mantle on him. The mantle was a symbol of the prophet’s calling and authority. However, we know that Elijah did not leave his mantle on the fledgling prophet because we read later that as Elijah was still wearing his mantle as he was being taken up to heaven.
What ensued between Elisha’s first encounter with Elijah and his last, was experience. He watched and learned as Elijah dealt with the likes of Jezebel and Ahab, and other situations. He gained understanding. He gained wisdom. He found out who God was, and who he wasn’t.
Experiencing attack and victory
Being at the beginning of God’s calling and purposes for your life is exciting, but it can be overwhelming. You can sense God is setting you a part to do something, while wondering how it could ever happen. Then somewhere in the process of moving forward, there enters anxiety that’s compounded by an accusatory voice saying,
Payback’s a mutha!
Only this voice is not from a mother in jest, it’s from the Enemy of your soul, trying to get you to stop, give up, and quit. He reminds you of why you’re not qualified, and of all the things you’ve done that disqualify you. But there is another voice encouraging you to keep going. It’s the voice of God telling you that you have what it takes, and you’re going to do phenomenal things.
While there are always areas we can gain more experience in, the amazing thing about God is that He has set us up for success and victory. He prepares us for what’s ahead. He corrects in us what’s wrong. And then He keeps us moving forward for the greatest payback of all time: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
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