Like a Child
“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”
- Matthew 18:2-4
When you think of children, what words come to your mind?
Innocent, cute, funny, curious, teachable, malleable, immature, adorable, wide-eyed…
When you think of children in relation to their parents, do any other words come to mind?
Dependent, trusting, imitating, doting, loving, observant…
So, when Jesus said that we must become like little children to enter the kingdom, what did He mean?
Children are the lowly of society. They are entirely dependent on their caregivers and are (God-willingly) taken care of without having to worry about their needs. They trust their parents whole-heartedly to provide for them and to teach them about life. A young child absorbs the information their parents tell them with wide-eyes because they admire and believe their parents. They seek their mom and dad’s attention. They want to please them. When they mess up or when they are afraid, they run to their mom and dad for help.
They aren’t concerned with being their own protector or provider. They trust that their parents are watching out for them. They look to their parents for guidance and use the authority of their parents’ words to take action. “Mom said” or “Dad said” holds value in their decision making.
A young child doesn’t yet discriminate or compare themselves to others. They don’t judge others. They are learning right from wrong based on what their parents tell them about the world.
With this in mind, the relationship that God wants to have with you is that of a Father and child.
The traits of a child that allow us to “enter” into the kingdom are what brought you to believing in Jesus for your salvation. Trust. Dependence. Surrender. Humility. Recognizing that He’s God and you’re not. You realized that you needed a Savior and ran to Jesus. And from the moment you’ve placed your faith in Christ, He has given you the right to be called a child of God (John 1:12). You are His child forever– He loves you and desires that you remain in this child-like posture with Him.
Take a Moment:
Are you teachable and malleable? Or do you think you have it all figured out?
Do you run to God when you fall? Or do you try to fix the problem on your own?
Are you fully believing God’s promises? Or are you constantly spiraling with doubt?
Do you trust that He has your best interest in mind? Or do you doubt His goodness?
Do you believe that He adores you and delights in you? Or do you think He is angry and upset with you all the time?
Do you depend on His voice to direct you and help you make decisions? Or do you rebel and listen to your own desires?
I hope some of these questions challenged you like they did for me. Let this week be focused on remembering your identity as God’s child and what that means for your life practically.
Remaining in a child-like position throughout our walk with Christ is what it means to live by faith.