Look Unto Christ

Look Unto Christ from Strive to Be

I love the music from Strive to Be. The more I listen, the more I feel soft moments of understanding and insight and peace. 

This year's theme song is Look Unto Christ. Here's a cool insight I had while it was playing in my head as I was driving (it can only play in my head because my car stereo is not working...)

My child development classes in college were some of my very favorites and I learned so many fascinating things. One of them is that when a child is very young, parents are their reference points for how to respond to their envrionment. We call this "social referencing". 

For example - toddler and caregiver are playing in the living room. Toddler is testing out her new ability to run, loses balance, and falls - plop - right on her puffy diaper. Reflexively, she looks to Dad. 

Scenario 1: Dad gasps, looks worried, and runs over asking if she's okay, feeling fear in his heart. Likely toddler response: her face also wrinkles into worry and she begins to cry. Dad is worried. Something is wrong. 

Scenario 2: Dad smiles, says 'bonk!' and offers a toy. Likely toddler response: she smiles, grabs the toy, and play resumes. She is safe. 

This is a biological, reflexive thing that children do. Barring toxic attachement and relationships, when something happens children look to parents/caregivers to know how to respond. As they grow, they begin to base their responses on the pattern of responses given them by caregivers. When I fall over, do I laugh, cry, scoot instead of run, or get right back up? 

I think we carry this reflex within us even as adults and it is designed to turn us to Christ. 

Remember a time when your world seemed to crumble around you. Perhaps all seemed lost, dark, hopeless or dreary.  It's an awful feeling, like you're in a dark chasm, cold, and suddenly completely alone. Did you feel that itch in your soul to look - but didn't know where to turn?

Look unto Christ. 

Have you noticed children also love to share joy with others? Made a cool painting? Run and show Mom. Got a good score? Proudly show your parents. Find a butterfly? Make sure everyone around you knows it's there so they can see it too. 

When children don't know how to feel, they look to their parents for reference. 

When they feel sad, they run to parents. 

When they feel scared they run to parents. 

When they feel happy they run to parents. 

Look unto Christ. In every thought. 

We are like toddlers in our limited understanding of God's ways and of eternal things. It's okay that we have that reflex to turn to someone - don't inhibit it! Turn to Christ. Look to your Eternal Parent. 

I wonder if this is the ideal relationship He is trying to teach - or perhaps remind - us. 

And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." 

Matthew 18:3