Oldest Siblings Unite!

Now clearly, our oldest son was playing with Legos. This is not unusual. He loves to build intricate contraptions with the tiny pieces. The unusual thing was that he was alone...all alone.

"Whatcha doin' buddy?"

"Playing hide-and-seek."

"Um, looks like you're playing Legos to me."

"Yeah, I'm seeking. They're hiding."

"Welcome to the club, little dude."

And with that, I left him alone to build his contraptions in peace. I'm the oldest sibling too, so I understand his logic: Little brothers hide. I don't seek. Little brothers stay out of my stuff for a few minutes.

I know, I know...middle children are neglected, ignored, and generally deprived of attention. And the baby is, well, the baby. Blah, blah, blah. Today I'm cheering for the oldest siblings among us.

We are the ones with whom our parents made their first parental mistakes. We were held to a higher standard and expected to be the example. Whether we were on the bus, at church, crossing the street, in the mall or at the dinner table, we were looking out for our siblings. Who can blame us for being a little bossy?

Sure, there are more photo albums of us. And when we came along, we got ALL of the attention from our parents and grandparents and the world at large. But with all of that attention came scrutiny. As a result, many of us are perfectionists, rule followers to the core.

In my own life, I find comfort in knowing the rules. I like to mark things from my list. Checking off boxes makes me happy. The problem comes when I allow this to bleed over into my spiritual walk.

You see, the christian life is not a list of rules to be followed. Checking a box beside "Bible read daily" is not what brings glory to God. Rather, He desires a relationship with me. Jesus is more interested in my heart being His than in my perfect attendance at every church function. And this is a struggle for me! I like my checked boxes!

But the funny thing is, when I operate in my love relationship with Him, I WANT to read His Word and worship Him with His people. Furthermore, when I seek Him, He doesn't play with Legos. In Jeremiah 29:13, His own words are "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." And with that kind of promise from the King of creation, why would I hide?