King Baby

Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign . . . And he did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. 2 Kings 21:1-2

While writing about unanswered prayers recently, I mentioned that my childhood prayers were often quite selfish, asking God for things like a million dollars and success as a professional football player. Obviously, God said no, which was in my best interest. I can only imagine what I’d be like if I’d have been given everything I wanted as a kid. I have difficulty saying no to my appetite as it is. What if though, I’d grow up getting everything I wanted with no one telling me no? I’d be a monster.

In recovery, we use the term King Baby to describe this self-centered attitude. King Baby is that individual who is emotionally immature and insecure, but who believes the world to revolve around him (or her). Profoundly narcissistic, he demands immediate gratification and expects those around him to deliver. The only morality is what he wants. Like an infant, he believes his needs must be prioritized and finds others useful as long as they meet those needs.

This is, I think, what you’d get if one became king at age 12 and this is exactly what happened in today’s passage. In the story, Manasseh became King of Judah at 12 years of age, when his father Hezekiah died. As much as Hezekiah had followed God, Manasseh followed himself. He did what he wanted, ignoring those voices that told him no. And as king, there were apparently not many of those voices. In the end, Manasseh led himself and his people to disaster, but while he sat on the throne, he did what he wanted.

I didn’t get everything I prayed for as a kid and I’m no king. Still, I do often display some King Baby traits. This was never more obvious than in my drug addiction, but this isn’t just about drugs. If I follow my appetite for anything, food, pride, sex, I can reawaken the King Baby in me. Daily then, if I desire to live in recovery, I must ask myself if I’m being self-centered, using others to get what I want. The King Baby story never has a happy ending, so if I want to avoid the self-destruction of King Baby, I must daily strive to live selflessly, seeking God’s will above mine and serving the needs of those around me.