I began thinking about how infants don’t know better than to relieve themselves at any moment and any time. They have yet to gain control over themselves and find nothing wrong with making a mess of themselves. As a society we provide a socially acceptable solution to their lack of control by diapering the infant. In the same way I was thinking of non-believers who have never heard of the word of God. Not that we physically diaper them, but we realize they are going to defecate and understand how they can see no problem with this act, but want to help them. They do not see it as disgusting and not a problem - after all, this is how they were made.
Then when the individual becomes a Christian they notice the sin they have lived in and committed and become disgusted with their choices and would like to change. This is the start of potty training where the child becomes aware that when they relieve themselves it is uncomfortable and want to be changed, but are still unable to change themselves. The training begins at this stage. The child is shown the potty is the place to go in order to not make a mess of themselves. The trick now is to go to the potty BEFORE they relieve themselves. As a Christian this is where we realize what leads to sin and change the way we live to not commit sin.
Occasionally there are accidents and fortunately for the child they have loving parents who will help them clean themselves as well as help them recognize the early signs before they have an accident. The awesome thing is our Heavenly Father is the same way. We may still have a consequence to our sin, but the Holy Spirit is here to help us learn to avoid sin and what to do with sin that is committed - take it to God and let him flush it away.
Think now of the mature Christian who is able to recognize when they have sin and what they do with it - they immediately take their sin to the toilet and flush it away by asking God for forgiveness and letting go of the sin. Once a child is potty trained the child should have fewer and fewer accidents the older the child becomes until they are fully potty trained. This is process is the same for Christians.
I began thinking about the age of when children are potty trained. I began thinking about how most children by the age of two have began potty training, usually by the age of four have very few accidents, and hopefully by age six (hopefully sooner) have mastered controlling their bowels. Imagine if there were a twenty year old who has been toilet trained, but refuses to use the toilet. This would not only be a huge societal faux pas but society members would not be as patient with them as we would with a three year old. Unfortunately there are people who never reach the spiritual potty training because they are okay with their occasional accidents, let alone don’t mind to master what needs to be done to prevent accidents.
I don’t know about you, but I sure am glad I’m physically potty trained and have fewer and fewer spiritual potty training accidents.
