"I Can Do It Myself, Gammie!" Revisited

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who gives me strength.

I have altered this post, which was originally featured here on January 19th of this year, because it so aptly fit Chapter Eight in Jerry Bridges' book, The Discipline of Grace.  If you've read the post before, please bear with me, and see for yourself how the lessons resonate.

My husband, Danny, and I have our granddaughter, Virginia Rose, over to spend a Friday night with us.  We wanted to have her in the worst way over the Christmas holidays, but because everyone in her household was sick, we couldn't risk it.  So it's been a while since we've spent any one-on-one time with our little angel, and we are looking forward to every minute together.

The biggest change I observe in Virginia is her self-assured demeanor.  It's not that she hasn't displayed confidence in the past; she is always willing to try new things, but now she firmly verbalizes her self-reliance.

"I can do it myself, Gammie."

I hear that phrase time and time again, whether it's breaking eggs into the cookie mixture, stirring in the M&Ms, placing teaspoons of dough on the baking sheets, lugging a board game upstairs from its storage place in the downstairs closet, readying the game for a round of fun, or changing into pajamas, the mantra repeats.

"I can do it myself, Gammie."

But where Virginia's declared confidence truly shines is when she insists she can clean up after having her way with flour play on the kitchen counter.  This Gammie is skeptical (and, yes, I do help some), but I'm amazed at how much she is able to accomplish without a smidgen of help from me.

Not bad for a five-year-old!

While I understand how important it is for children to develop their abilities and skills, the "do-it-myself" mentality can become an obstacle, a stumbling block, to their spiritual and emotional growth down life's road.  Children must also learn that asking for help when the task before them is daunting is not a sign of weakness or shame.  It is life-giving.

In Chapter Eight of The Discipline of Grace, author, Jerry Bridges, writes:  "If we are to make any progress in the pursuit of holiness, we must assume our responsibility to discipline and train ourselves.  But we are to do all this in the total dependence on the Holy Spirit to work in us and strengthen us with the strength that is in Christ."

Virginia, observing and then following the actions taught her, is learning to discipline and train herself.  But the challenge remains for her parents and grandparents to show her the path that leads to holiness.  The path that leads to dependence upon the Holy Spirit, the One who inspires and enables her to have the strength and determination to complete the work to which God has called her.

Life-long, life-giving dependence.

The best kind there is.

Amen.

~

For the next five weeks, I will be participating in a study of Jerry Bridges' The Discipline of Grace.  It is facilitated by fellow Christian bloggers, Jason Stasyszen and Sarah Salter, who invite you to read the book along with us.  Join me here next Wednesday for a new reflection.  God bless!