Matthew 18:3 “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Do I have the mindset of a little child? Do you? It is humbling to me that Jesus would choose a child as one having the capacity to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. How radical is that! In Matthew 18:1-5 Jesus surprised his disciples when in answer to their question: “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” he called a little child to stand among them. He then replied: “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.”

So what characteristics does a little child exhibit that brings delight to the heart of God?  A little child still has the capacity to be humble and is teachable. A little child who is loved and cared for will display faith – a constancy in believing that what the caring parent or care-giver says is true, right and beneficial for him/her; trust – a willingness to abandon cares and fears of what will happen next to the parent’s ability to protect; reliance – the belief that the parent will provide for his/her needs as they arise; covenant love – a child may not be able to put a name on it, but he/she lives with the assurance that when that parent makes a promise, it will be kept without fail.

Do you see where this leads us?  If you are being honest, you will admit that this creates a crisis for you right now as it did for me. It is not about whether you are saved or not, hopefully you already believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, your sins have been forgiven and you are connected to God through the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. But this is about the measure of faith! Can we display the characteristics of a little child and abandon ourselves to God on an ongoing basis? The Lord God has shown himself to me to be completely trustworthy for so long and in so many ways, and especially this last year, that I feel compelled to be like a little child before Him and surrender to his unending care, faithfulness and Majesty.