Have you ever fought against something that was good for you? We’ve all seen this played out before our eyes in young children. They need to wear a coat because it’s frigid outside, yet they battle the person putting it on them; however, when they’re out in the cold feeling toasty warm, they’re thankful for their coat.
I remember being at my brother’s house when my nephew was two years old. He was sick with a head cold and an ear infection and he needed to take his medicine. He didn’t want to take it. He didn’t care for the taste of it and he ran from his Daddy. My brother caught him, without much effort, and set him up on the kitchen counter so they were eye level (and so he couldn’t run again) and in a calm voice he told his son “I love you and I know you don’t want to take this medicine, but you need it to feel better. You’re just going to have to take it.” He tried to administer the medicine and my nephew, a typical two year old, turned his head away. My brother gently turned his son’s face to look at him and said “Do you trust me? Take the medicine.” His son swallowed the medicine, and then his daddy embraced him, kissed him and told him that he loved him.
We do the same thing. We fight our heavenly Father when He is trying to do something or give us something we need. When we find ourselves in situations that aren’t good for us, He stands ready to help us, to bring healing to us yet we fight Him. He reminds us “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” [Jeremiah 33:1]. Even when we were a mess, He loved us [Romans 5:8]. When we settle ourselves before Him and put our trust in Him, it always turns out good for us [Psalm 46:10, Proverbs 3:5-6].
Are you running from your heavenly Father? Are you fighting Him on something? Psalm 62:5 tells us to find our rest in God alone. He’s offering. Are you accepting?