Black, Conscious and Reformed (with Dr Carl Ellis)

My two-year-old has recently learned the word MINE – “It’s not yours it’s MINE”. He says this with such conviction, snatching away anything you might have dared to touch – even if the item actually belongs to someone else. He’s developed an obsession with possession. Dare to mention the sh word… ‘share’, and a meltdown might ensue. Even when there is objectively more than enough to go around.

As a parent, my child’s self-centered behavior mortifies me. But I know his brain is still developing; it’s normal for a two-year-old to behave this way, and so I attempt to show him patience and grace. Being confronted with the daily onslaught of I, me, my, and mine, has made me realise how often we as adults – even adults who profess a Christian faith, continue to behave as toddlers do.