“Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of heaven.”‘ – Matt 18:2-3
Are you childlike? Am I? The passage here expresses that unless we are like children we will not enter God’s Kingdom. That is pretty serious and worth pondering.
I spend a good deal of my time ministering to children. They are all so precious and I have learned so much from them. They are lovers. They give love and receive love quickly and easily. At some of the carepoints I have been greeted by children running up to me hugging my legs and grabbing for my hand even though I had not met them before. And the shy ones let me pick them up and hold them close until they fall asleep in my arms.
Do we give and receive love as quickly and easily as these children? Or do we have walls and doors constructed allowing only those with the proper key to enter? Most of us have experienced rejection in life and learned that the safety of superficial relationships is easier dealt with than risking it all in selfless love.
Children haven’t learned that lesson yet. Their hearts are still too pure. They love selflessly. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you have done they still risk loving. I am learning that it is hard to be a child when I have been raised to be an independent narcissistic adult. I need to let other people into my life so I can depend on them – to support me, correct me, love me. I need to get my vision past the end of my nose and into the eyes of the person in front of me.
Are you childlike? I know I have a ways to go.
