START ACTING SO CHILDISH
Matthew 18:1-5 NKJV
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
I know you are thinking I made a mistake with the title of this devotional. Many people have been told just the opposite. Stop acting so childish is a comment used by parents with maturing children. It is also used by adults with each other. Acting childish is not typically considered a good thing. Except with Jesus.
Jesus was not talking about throwing a temper tantrum or pouting. He was not asking His disciples to act silly and immature. So what was Jesus talking about when He instructed His group to become as little children?
Looking at these verses in context, Jesus was responding to the disciple's question? Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? This seemed to be an issue with the disciples. They wanted to know who was the greatest and even argued about who would be the greatest. They were simply acting out a human fleshly desire to exalt themselves and know where they ranked and how to rank others. Being of a somewhat competitive nature, I can understand the need to know how to move up.
And once again, Jesus left them scratching their heads. You have to become as a little child. To His disciples, this was another example of Jesus' counterintuitive teaching. In that culture, children were not as revered and protected as they are today. The disciples had angered Jesus at one point by refusing to let children come to Him so He could bless them. These were the days when children were seen and not heard. But Jesus was advocating becoming as a child.
There are qualities in children that would benefit us, and Jesus knew that. Little children are not trying to outrank and outdo their peers. They are not trying to be the greatest. They have a built-in humility. Little children are quick to believe what adults tell them. If Dad or Mom says it, it's golden. They do not aggressively reason away their parents' words. Little children don't worry about the future. They trust their parents that all is going to be okay. Little ones forgive and forget fast. They can have a conflict with another child, hug it out, and are playing again in a matter of moments. They do not hold grudges and look for ways to get even. Little children believe everyone has value. They are not as prone to see color or social standing; to them, everyone is welcome. Little children are not scheming about how to hurt or take advantage of other children. They still possess an innocence that is refreshing. Little children are very honest and can speak the truth without trying to hurt others. Of course, their honesty can sting a bit if it hits too close to home. But the intent to do damage is not there.
Please keep in mind that I am talking about little children. In our current day, with the advent of constant information, children are exposed to more hate and negative information at earlier ages. So, when I list these childish attributes, I am thinking preschoolers, not ten-year-olds.
APPLICATION
In God's kingdom, we can thrive with some of the childlike behaviors I listed above. Would our life be better if we were much quicker to believe, quicker to forgive and less discriminating in who we choose to accept and love? In God's kingdom, humility is a sought-after character trait. Pride and posturing have no place. And there is another trait of little children that we seem to grow out of as we mature. Children enjoy life and its little things. They laugh a lot. We can learn from Jesus that children are important to God and have qualities that would benefit us all.
PRAYER
Lord, help me strive for greatness in Your Kingdom but do it Your way and help me humble myself as a child.