Why do we insist on eating dirt?

I have a boy.  A very independent, boisterous boy at that, and one that loves nothing more than to be sat in a flower bed at 7 am in the morning eating dirt.  And no matter how many times I say that it doesn't taste nice or that it is dirty, he still continues to eat dirt.  So one day I took a photo of his dirt covered face and posted it online and it was mistaken for chocolate!  It got me thinking.....

How often do we continue to do something even though God, our family, our friends and others tell us that it is wrong?  How often do we miss out on something as amazing as chocolate because we are sat eating dirt instead?  And how often do we think we have been eating the amazing thing that is chocolate but are mistaken?  

We all insist on eating dirt at some point in our life, whether that "dirt" is a sinful action or behaviour, whether it is a damaging relationship, or whether it is just laziness or inaction.  By doing this we are missing out on the amazing life that God has in store for us - something even more amazing than chocolate!!  So how do we move on from eating dirt?

• look up from the flower bed - I am sure sometimes we don't even realise what we are doing.  We are so caught up in everyday life and what we are doing that we haven't realised we are sat in the flower bed eating dirt.  Perhaps we don't notice that behaviour we have fallen in to, or how damaging someone is to us.  So first, you need to look up from where you are and take stock of your life.  Where are you, what are you doing, why are you doing it?  If Sam did this then he would realise that the grass is much better for playing on rather than sitting in the flower bed!
• listen to what our father is telling us - If Sam just listened to what I am saying and acted on it then he would stop eating dirt in no time.  I am sure that the same is true with us and our Father - we don't always hear his warnings or advice, and even when we do we don't always act on it.  We think we know better and that we are doing pretty good on our own so we carry on.  So just stop, listen and act on what God is telling you
• pay attention to the outcome - given the choice of eating chocolate or dirt, I think most of us would choose chocolate everytime if we definitely knew that is what it was.  But often we are deceived and misled into thinking we are doing the best thing, when actually it is not.  When we listen and act on what God is saying, you can be sure that it is right as the outcome will change for the better.  When you taste that delicious chocolate you realise how stupid it was to sit eating dirt!  And when we sort out that sin, relationship or laziness we realise how much better off we are and how great life can be if we had just done that in the first place!

Finally, I just want to say that dirt has its place in the world - from it can grow amazing flowers and beauty, so never think that something cannot come from your mistakes or misdeeds.  But God wants the best for us, so lets try not to stay in the dirt for too long but to rise up and enjoy what blessings he has for us (I am pretty sure there will be chocolate in heaven.....!)