How Easily We Learn

I was recently interviewing the mostly-intelligible three year old that resides at my address, taking up lots of space with his Hot Wheels, Thomas the Tank Engine trains, and books that he demands be read to him upon request, about whether or not he had been given a Spider-man children's vitamin by his mother earlier in the morning. The aforementioned three year old usually asks for one, because, let's be honest, those things are like candy and he's a fan of all things sweet and unhealthy for you (as am I). I was partial to the Flintstones vitamins as a child. I probably even snuck an extra one on occasion, giving myself a dose of vitamins that would keep a horse energized for all three races of the Triple Crown. Now, I knew full-well that my wife had given him one, because I (a) saw her do it and (b) heard him munching it loudly, as only a three year old with no chewing manners can munch something. I asked him, "Did you already have a vitamin today?" To which he replied, without missing a beat or cracking a smile or flinching in any way, "No."

How quickly we learn to lie through our soon-to-fall-out teeth! Where did he learn to lie like that? It's not like in the midst of imparting wisdom to him I accidentally told him that lying was okay and then showed him how to do it properly. I may not be father of the year, but give me some credit. Now, I know that my son intended no harm by it, and, to be honest, those things are kind of yummy so I might do the same thing in his place. I just find it interesting that lying came so easily to a three year old. As fallen people we seem to be born with an innate ability to learn how to scheme and lie to get what we want, whether it be power and control, a promotion at work, climb above someone on the social scale, be accepted into a group of classmates we had been hitherto excluded from, or simply get another Spider-man vitamin. We just know that the only way to get what we want is scheme to take it. We can't imagine another way.

We are in a constant fight with our own sinful nature, seeking to live a better way that trusts fully in God and has no need to rise above others but instead puts others above ourselves. Let us take the low road, putting others above us, loving them as ourselves. I think we'll find that in God's economy and kingdom this is actually the high road after all.

shalom, matt