Become like little children

A few weeks ago, I was not a happy camper, which made me a very unfriendly person to be around. My spiritual cup was going empty, and I was feeling burnt out. My emotions were all over the place. I was praying and reading the Bible, but just enough to get by. My mind was filled with junk and running rampant with worries and other thoughts that made my head spin. I was burnt out, both mentally and emotionally and could not shake the moodiness. In addition, I was not having the usual joy I found in my husband and children. Instead, I'd easily get frustrated and annoyed with them and become very short and cynical. I'd yell at them or speak to them in a condescending tone, which made me eventually withdraw from them so that they wouldn't be at the mercy of my unstable moods. When I finally got over the lousy mood swings, I asked my husband and children for forgiveness.

I apologized for my mean behavior; and they easily accepted my apology. My children quickly forgave me without thought or hesitation. I was so thankful to be forgiven; it made me feel so much lighter. I am not proud of the way I acted, and still feel pangs of guilt or shame as I write this, but I know that I am forgiven. I also asked God for forgiveness. However, since then, they have not reminded me of how badly I acted, nor have they used my bad behavior against me. They truly forgave me. I struggle with my emotions from time to time, and sometimes they get the best of me. The Lord reminds me to not let my emotions rule my thoughts, decisions, or circumstances. He is still helping me in this area, and showed me, that unlike me, my children are easily comforted, and can quickly go back to their happy, go-lucky selves. Even when I don't treat them the best, they continue to trust me. They have faith that I will provide, nurture, and love them unconditionally. As I thought about this, a Bible verse came to mind.

Jesus says in Matthew 18:3, Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

When I first heard this verse, it confused me. Why does Jesus want us to become like children? Some words that come to mind when I think of children are: dependent, immature, unwise, needy, simple-minded, weak, small, selfish, and so forth. It may seem harsh, but that is honestly what came to mind. What do you think about when you hear the word children? After studying my children and their behavior towards me these last weeks, I began to understand what Jesus was saying. Children have many characteristics and traits that we can learn from such as, they forgive easily and don't have trouble apologizing for their actions. They also don't constantly worry like us adults. They are (usually) easy to console, and look to their parents and/or providers for all their needs. Children have pure love that is not conditional, and they are extremely humble. Children ask for help, seek guidance and direction, and thrive in orderly environments. They also take correction well (for the most part), and are very honest. They generally live in the moment, genuinely enjoy life, and are always smiling and laughing. They see the world differently than we adults do, and can provide profound insight on life with simplicity. The Bible says that children are a blessing and gift from God (Psalm 127:3) and if we look, God can use them to speak to us.

So what does Jesus want us to learn in that verse? It must be important because the last words is that we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Well I believe the Lord wants to speak to us on a few points. For instance, like children, Jesus wants us to forgive easily. Matthew 6:14-15 says if you forgive others the wrongs they have done to you, your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive the wrongs you have done. He wants us to be humble, honest, and completely dependent upon God. 1 Peter 5:6-7 says therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. We must not question God's love for us, just as my children don't question my love for them. Children generally have no trouble trusting adults and things we tell them (some believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy). We ought to have child-like faith. Hebrews 11:1 says now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Many of us, myself included, aren't completely dependent on God. We don't 100% trust Him for our needs. Instead, we fret, worry, and stress about things out of our control. We don't take direction well from Him, or always do what He asks us to do (which is always for our benefit). We aren't enjoying life in the capacity that we should, because we allow things, people, and emotions to steal our joy. We doubt God, and some of us are even angry at God. Some of us are holding unforgiveness towards God and other people. We don't easily forgive, nor do we humble ourselves and admit our faults and wrongdoings. Yet, why is it so easy for a child to do these things, yet so hard for us? I believe it is because our children have an innate and strong desire to please us. They look to us for our affirmations, and their minds are not filled with junk. They seek to do that which will make us happy or proud of them. Maybe we ought to be more simple-minded and dependent on God. We ought to admit that we are weak, unwise, and needy of Christ. We need to diligently seek and go after God, and do what pleases Him. Our desire should be people after God's heart. We cannot take this verse lightly. Jesus is saying that unforgiving, haughty, self-sufficient, untrusting, and faithless people will not enter Heaven. So ask the Lord what He is speaking to you.

Let us pray.

Father in Heaven,

First of all, I just want to thank you for giving Jesus those specific words to speak to us on becoming like little children. Yes Father, we need to be humbled and honest. We need to depend on You and trust You. Give us child-like faith and help us to be excited to learn like children. You are not a God of chaos but a God of order so guide us, lead us, and give us direction on what it is that we should be doing, and not doing. Correct us as a loving Father does. Give us the desire to please You and follow Your instructions! Help us to forgive easily and to apologize for our wrongdoings. Create in us a pure heart (Psalm 51:10) and let us be people after Your heart. Let there be more of You in our lives and less of us. Thank You for this message and I pray that You will minister to the readers, and meet their needs. In Jesus' name, amen.

Prayerfully,

Pam