Living 4 Him

“Truly I tell you, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3 (CSB)

Three of the gospels record interactions Jesus had with children. Although the disciples tried to turn away the bouncy chatty children, Jesus drew them near with these words. “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Luke 18:16 (CSB)

Teaching six and seven-year-olds for over 30 years gave me plenty of opportunities to interpret Jesus’ words. Children delighted, but children also disappointed.  Children were attentive, yet also highly distracted.  Over the years as a teacher and a parent, I looked for general qualities in children to illustrate the essence of Jesus’ words.   And here is the result . . . .

Children look at the world with wonder.  Anytime snow appeared, the excitement level and the noise level in the classroom increased.   It didn’t matter if it was the first snow or the fifteenth. Witnessing the wonder of white fluffy flakes falling out of the sky was enough to push children into a spellbinding state of awe and wonder.  And not only snow entertained . . . new shoes, pizza for lunch, a favorite book, time with a good friend. . . In the eyes of a child, so many marvelous objects surround us with amazement.

God loves to see us notice his creation with such admiration!  We absorb the fullness of God’s wondrous creation if we take time to notice the ants as well as the butterflies, the dandelions along with the green grass and the unique people God created in every place we go.

Children are teachable.  As a new parent with my baby daughter at home,  I remember walking across a parking lot and seeing a mother with her 4-year-old son.  She held his hand telling him, “When you are in a parking lot, you have to watch for moving cars all around you.”  It hadn’t occurred to me that I would need to teach my daughter how to safely walk across the parking lot.  I realized how much children depend on adults to teach them the ways of the world.  Children naturally have a teachable spirit.  Their minds have been described as sponges, soaking in the messages around them.  Curiosity as well as a desire to succeed motivates their drive to learn.

As we grow older, do we lose a bit of that determination? Henry Ford is quoted as saying, “Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” I am sure God would agree with this anonymous quote as well,  “Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching.”  God created our minds to learn and he has a wealth of instruction to share!

Children are trusting.  In the classroom when it was time to work, I always circulated the room, providing assistance wherever it might be needed.  It occurred to me how trusting the kids were every time they raised their hands.  They sought my help with full confidence that I would give what they were looking for.  When children seek, they expect to find, possessing an assurance that adults often overlook. 

When we pray to God, surrendering our needs to him, it’s like raising our hand in the classroom of life.  We look to him for help. Are we as assured and hopeful in receiving help as the children in my classroom? 

As children of the Father, Jesus wants us to hold onto the childlike characteristics that guide us ever closer to him.  He knows there is much in this world competing for our attention, but if we investigate the instincts that molded our early years, we’ll find ourselves following our divine parent with the hope and assurance of a child. 

Absorb the wonders of the world.

Be teachable and take time to learn.

Be trusting and know the God of the Universe steers you.

Kick up your heels and rejoice!  You are a child of the King!

Reaching in (allowing God’s word to work in the world):  Read Mark 10:13-16 (or Matthew 18:1-4 or Luke 18: 15-17) and picture Jesus welcoming you as his child. 

Reaching out (taking God’s word into the world): If you are able, spend time in the next few weeks with a child and gain more insight into becoming like a child.