Its a peculiar thing, isn't it? You know what I'm talking about. Children and crying. For those who are not attuned to the cry, it can be frustrating, annoying, or down right nefarious. I mean really, a child in distress will often cry out, no matter what one does to prevent it. Their cries have a few things in common:
- They have no regard for who hears, so long as the cry reaches the ears (and heart) of the caretaker.
- They are known for their repetitive nature.
- They indicate need and a desire for immediate comfort.
For the young child crying out the concern is that perhaps they have been overlooked or worse yet, forgotten altogether. We may like to think as we mature that we are not that juvenile. We don't "cry" out because we have navigated the waters of life with maturity, success and acumen.
Or have we? You see, the verse above is part of a larger context in which the Apostle Paul is making the case for the move in one's heart from slavery (ch. 4) to freedom (ch. 5). The crazy connection here is that our worst fears, like the infant who is thinking he may be overlooked or forgotten, were the reality Jesus embraced. Why? SO THAT you could cry out to God as "Abba, Father." On the Cross, Jesus cried out and because of your sin and mine God's back was turned.
God has placed in us a deep yearning that no job, child, spouse, or habit could ever supplant. And when we, like a child, cry out to Him as "Abba, Father" we are moving from slavery to freedom.
