BECOMING LIKE CHILDREN

When the Lord repeats Himself on a specific topic, and does so multiple times, the reader needs to pay close attention to what is being said. Such is the instruction from Jesus in Matthew Chapter 18:

(Mat 18:2) And He called a child to Himself and set him before them,

(Mat 18:3) and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

(Mat 18:4) "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

This directive is repeated twice more in Mark 10:15 and Luke 18:17. Three times, Jesus says that we must “become like children” if we are to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. What precisely are we to do in order that we “become like children”?

My wife, some friends and a few close family members have often accused me of being a child. “Don't be such a child”, one of them once said to me. Well GOSH! If I am not like a child, I won't get into heaven!! Brother,..... I said to myself,..... I don't think that is what our Lord means.

Young children are not programmed with all the CAN'TS and IMPOSSIBLES that hamper the faith of adults. Through the eyes of a child, everything is possible. Nothing is impossible. The way our Father likes it!

(Luk 1:37) "For nothing will be impossible with God."

There is a helpless, simple, trusting attitude that God finds so endearing in His children. It is through those who foster that “Child Like” faith that the Holy Spirit does some of His best work. He wants us to rely on Him, not on ourselves.

Children are also extremely humble. They don't know what they don't know and readily accept that which they cannot see, feel, taste, or hear. If they can think it, it can become real in the youthful mind. We old-timers really have to work hard to develop that beautiful child-like faith in acceptance of God's grace.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John & Paul all saw Jesus in the flesh. They lived with Him and touched Him and still had faith issues. The children, however, readily accepted Jesus, and believed fully from the start. That is the part that “Big People” need to relearn. Revisit your childhood again. Be youthful in your thoughts. Believe with all your heart. Know that He is with you in all you do. You are, after all, a CHILD of God!

Have you read your Bible today?

[All scripture in this blog posting is NASB]