"I'm failing God because I want to quit ministry and just be a normal kid."
How it sounds in your head: All my friends are playing video games and hanging out, but I'm leading devotions and helping with kids' church. I feel guilty for wanting to just be normal, like I'm choosing the world over God. Maybe I was never really called and I'm just a fake.
"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven."
-- Ecclesiastes 3:1Religion spirit - child labor in spiritual clothing, demanding adult responsibilities from a child's heart.
He's been praised for being 'mature for his age' and 'sold out for God' when serving, creating pressure to maintain that identity. Wanting to play feels carnal compared to ministry, so desire for normalcy feels like backsliding.
Samuel heard God's voice as a young boy but didn't immediately become a prophet-leader - he stayed under Eli's care, GROWING in favor with God and men. His childhood wasn't wasted preparation; it was the necessary SEASON before the calling fully unfolded.
I REFUSE the lie that wanting to be a kid means I'm failing God. IT IS WRITTEN there is a season for everything, and THIS is my season to be young. Jesus waited until 30 to minister publicly - my childhood is not wasted time. I am not rejecting my calling by playing, laughing, and learning - I'm HONORING the season God gave me. IT IS WRITTEN that Samuel grew as a child under Eli's care before becoming a prophet; his boyhood wasn't failure, it was FOUNDATION. I don't have to carry adult burdens at 11. The BARAK blessing over my life isn't threatened by age-appropriate rest and play.
The Father isn't standing with crossed arms, disappointed you want to play - He's the One who CREATED play for children. Like the prodigal welcomed home mid-mess, you don't need to 'act older' to be loved; the Father delights in you exactly as you are TODAY.