Ever just have a word pop into your brain and you think to yourself, "where did that come from?" Well, that happened to me last night. I was speaking to my husband about something and I said to him: "I don't want you to have to mollycoddle me." His instant reply was: "What? Is that even a word?" I don't think it is a word men use frequently, and I think it popped into my mind from reading too many historical fiction books lately! I also laughingly said to him: "I wonder how I can work this word into my blog tomorrow?" His reply: "Oh, knowing you, I'm sure you'll find a way!" Well here goes:
The word comes from our friends in Great Britain, so put on your tiaras, pinkies up, and we'll drink a cup of tea while we contemplate it.
The word mollycoddle means to "pamper," "to spoil," and "to overprotect." It is sometimes used to describe "spoiled children." No wonder he is so spoiled his mother "mollycoddled" him.
This got me to thinking about our relationship with God. First of all, keeping to our British theme, we are "heirs to the throne." Romans 8:17 says: "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory." (NIV) When we ask Christ to be the Lord of our lives, the scripture says "We are adopted into God's family" and with that adoption, comes all the rights and privileges as His heirs. How wonderful, or as our British friends might say "Bravo!"
I John 3:1 says: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!" (NIV) As his child, God lavishes (gives to us in great amounts, without limits) His love on us! Do you feel lavished upon this day? It is not just a feeling but a fact! Sometimes when things are going all wrong, we don't feel very lavished upon, but if we just begin to think about it (such as the fact that we are breathing, we got out of bed, etc,) we begin to see how much our King does mollycoddle us.
He also protects us from the harm that threatens us daily. Remember the 23rd Psalm you might have learned as a child? "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." (NIV) I truly think we will all be amazed someday when we see how the Lord has protected and mollycoddled us down through the years!
Also in that same Psalm it says he pampers us "You prepare (God does it) a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." I had a note in my bible (yes, it is okay to write in them) that the oil was used in biblical days for kings. Remember David's head was anointed by Samuel when he was chosen king? How about when the tabernacle was dedicated? It was anointed with oil because it was where the king,God Himself, came down to dwell! How about in the New Testament when the woman came into the room and anointed the Lord by pouring the costly perfume on Christ's head in Mark 14:3? It was a costly perfume oil called "Nard" signifying that Christ is King and was used to prepare him for burial! That should make all you essential oil people happy today! Since we are children of the king, I guess then it makes sense that he tells us in James 5:14 "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord."
Yes, my dear friends you and I are definitely mollycoddled by the greatest of Kings, and I for one, am thankful and don't mind it one bit! Now I challenge you to go out today and try to use that word at the grocery or on your kids and see what kind of reaction you will get!
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