Like a Child!


He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.


"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.



Matthew 18:2-6



When I was a little child I was the perfect example of what Jesus was talking about when He said we must become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Now I’m not bragging because you were the perfect example also.

That was the time when I would look at the world around me and see no evil. I assumed that everyone had good motives and could be trusted to always tell the truth. I believed that no one would choose to do me harm and so I could sleep peacefully no matter what was going on around me.

The next stage in my development was to trust my father. As I grew a little older I did begin to see bad things in the world and even bad people. But I knew, without a doubt that my father would protect me from all that. I knew that no one could harm me because my father was constantly watching over me and would care for my every need.

Then came what some have called the “age of accountability” when I chose to leave the safety of my father’s care and “see the world” for myself. Like every other person who has ever lived when I did that I sinned and fell short of the Glory of God!


So now Jesus tells me to become like a little child. I must become like I was before I took the plunge into the rebellious world of sin! Of course, I can only do that by the power of Jesus. But it does help me to remember what it was like before I was daily bombarded with the temptation to sin.


When I was a little child I was a “believer.” I believed the things that I was told and did not subject them to scrutiny and discussion. I could not imagine that the things that I was told were lies so I accepted them without question. You see, when I question what I am told I am putting the speaker on the witness stand and cross examining him so I can uncover any lies. To do that with another man is necessary, but to do that with the Word of God is blasphemy.


Satan’s plan is to make me a little child when it comes to his word and a skeptical adult when it comes to God. But Jesus wants us to be just the opposite of that. Be a little child when it comes to God and His Word and be skeptical of every word that comes out of the mouth of the world!