It was a practice I said I would never employ as I caressed my bulging belly, feeling my first baby’s tiny limbs flutter inside me. But when in the wilds of raising a toddler, it came out by default.
“I’m counting to three!” I tell my 20-month-old daughter, who stands amid the littered crayons she refuses to clean up.
I had asked kindly, then a bit more sternly.
By the third time, my voice rises in irritation.
Why won’t she just obey me? It wasn’t a difficult task, and it was well within her capabilities.
But my daughter digs in her heels, sets her stubborn eyes on me, and says, “No!”
One.
I again cajole her into submission. “You must obey Mommy. Mommy will even help you, but you need to listen and obey.”
She holds her ground, face scrunching—probably mirroring mine.
Two.
I’m getting angry now. My hormones heighten the situation.
I crouch on the floor with my toddler. My second child, who is weeks away from appearing, sits heavily in my womb on my right hip, giving me pain and a limp since the second trimester.
Two and a half.
The classic stall tactic.
I’m desperate for her to cooperate because if she doesn’t, I’ll have to follow through. Like most parents, I don’t enjoy seeing my child suffer consequences.
If she would just listen to me, life would be easier for her. Or is it that life would be easier for me?
Two and three-quarters.
I’m pathetic, and I know it.
I reason that I’m giving a little more time for her upper brain to connect with the lower one. But she’s a toddler.
We’re not simply crossing a bridge from impulse to reason—we’re building it.
“No, Mommy. No,” she contests.
It’s time to end this pantomime. Justice tips the scale.
Three.
Our Natural Rebellion
Parenting is humbling. If we ever thought we had control, those notions are categorically shattered when our precious sinner babies enter the picture.
They defy us even before they graduate from the crib. It wasn’t taught to them—it’s instinct.
And we never grow out of it, do we?
As a child of the heavenly Father, I’ve often said “no” to Him.
Recognizing God’s voice takes time.
Once I learned how to discern His voice, it didn’t lead to immediate obedience. Instead, it led to hesitation. Delayed obedience.
Both are disobedience.
As I teach my kids to listen and obey right away, the Holy Spirit often convicts me of my hypocrisy.
Can I claim to listen to my Father’s voice and obey right away? To the commands He’s given in His Word, or to the nudges the Lord gives throughout the day?
I’ve told God “no” numerous times—out of fear, self-preservation, greed, or laziness—and what’s left is the memory of regret.
Yet, I’ve discovered my heavenly Father also counts to three.
The Divine Response: God’s Mercy
When I hesitate, God offers further assurance. When I delay my obedience, He waits patiently and holds back judgment. When I fail to obey, God offers me another chance.
Then, God keeps counting.
The Lord gives more time. More prompting. More assurance.
The holy Father gives more mercy.
Just as I don’t want my daughter to suffer, neither does God want us to be crushed under sin’s yoke.
Exodus 7:23 ESV says, “But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’”
God’s richest blessings shine upon those who obey His voice.
His Word is full of promises to those who listen and obey Him (Is 1:19; Lk 11:28; Jn 14:23; Jn 8:51; Jas 1:25). In the Lord’s will, beauty exists beyond what we can see and ripples beyond what we can know.
I often think of the prophets when I ponder obedience. Imagine if Nathan shirked his responsibility to confront David of his sin with Bathsheba. Or if Isaiah cowered from speaking God’s warning against the idolatrous Israelite nation.
Both Isaiah and David foretold the coming Messiah. Their obedience—and repentance—led to the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The Father’s Merciful Remediation
Consequently, I’ve decided I’m fine with counting to three.
I’m grateful to belong to a heavenly Father so rich in mercy that He delays my deserved consequences, allowing more time to listen, trust, and obey.
Just as I need time to battle the sin of defiance within me, so does my child. Character is refined in the struggle with sin—for my daughter and me.
The moment before we respond to the Lord’s prompting is when we put our theology into practice. We demonstrate where our allegiance lies and who holds our greatest affections. Religion becomes a relationship, and duty evolves into joy.
When God calls us to a task, He goes with us.
And who wouldn’t want more time with that kind of Father?
To truly know the love of God is to trust Him. We should build the bridge from sinful impulse to reason with the bricks of His character—faithfulness, goodness, power, and unfailing love—until obedience becomes our new reflex.
Time spent with the Father will mature us into an obedience that won’t require counting to three.
Until then, His mercy will continue to tip the scale.
Rachel Greening
Rachel Greening writes with a heart to reflect the beauty of God and exalt Him above all things. She has written for various publications, such as Risen Motherhood, The Gospel Coalition, Motherly, and The Truly Co. She joyfully belongs to Hope Bible Church in Oakville, Ontario, where she works and serves with her family. You can connect through socials @rachelgreeningwrites and by visiting rachelgreeningwrites.com.
