Being a Mommy teaches you a lot of lessons. Some are practical hands-on lessons, some are gut-wrenching wear-you-out-emotionally lessons, and for me, some are reminders of the spiritual lessons that I already knew, but hadn't thought of in quite that way before.
Being a full-time Mommy doesn't allow a whole lot of time to put oneself first. I try to do things for myself once in a while, but a lot of times I am too busy to worry about things I want or sometimes even need, because I am busy caring for the ones that God has placed in my charge. That includes my husband and my children. I will buy them clothes every time if they are needed before I spend money on clothes for myself. I cater to their interests and their taste buds, and whatever else happens to come along. It doesn't really bother me, because I've learned that I can find great contentment in being able to do for others, especially those that I love. Once in a great while, I decide I want to do something for myself, but the rest of the time I try to do for them, because I love them.
I have three children under the age of nine. And boy children at that. I hear "Me first!" day in and day out ... over, and over, and over again. Well, except when I want to. They struggle for first place in so many things ... who is going to open the door, who is going to get the first plate at dinner time, who is going to play with a favorite toy. Of course, it's NEVER "Me first" when it comes to bath time, or bedtime or any of those kinds of things. They are brothers, and they are in a perpetual state of competition, and probably will be for many years to come. I talk to them of kindness, and respect, and consideration, and other Biblical principles, and I trust that with consistent reminders and a lot of prayer, they will eventually learn that "Me first!" is not necessarily the most important thing there is.
But I got to thinking about the whole "me first" mentality the other day, as I was out with my youngest running errands. A lady in another minivan just about ran me down, trying to get from the right lane (of three) into the left turn lane. Never looked, never signaled, just swerved over and just about took my front bumper and half my engine with her. I hit the brakes and sounded my horn, ("Wow, Mommy ... that was a loud horn!" said my four-year-old.), and I'm not sure she even noticed. She wasn't even on a cell phone. A day or so later someone else was behind me and trying to run me off the road because they were in such a hurry to get to wherever they were going. I shook my head, and got to wondering about adults (well, ok ... they're old enough to drive ... I don't know if they're adults) who've never outgrown the "ME FIRST!" mentality. It's as if they have no concept that the world even exists outside of their immediate proximity.
As that thought rolled around in my head over a couple of days, though, I began thinking about other ways that it can sometimes manifest itself ... mostly in ungodly ways. After all, when God has given us a standard to live by, and we choose not to follow it, isn't that what we are basically doing? Crying "Me first!"? Wanting what WE want above anything else?
"Well, I do what God wants me to do most of the time!" we protest. Which makes me think of James 2:10 ... "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." In God's eyes, we are either law keepers or law breakers ... we can't be both. Can we really be the people God wants and expects us to be if we don't learn to step away from "Me first!"? This is the whole reason that we should, like Christ, pray "not my will but Thine be done." It's not always easy, but it is always right.
It's a lesson I knew, but was reminded of yet again by my children, and the people around me who are acting like children. And it's a lesson we could all, from time to time, use help remembering.
