And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:3 (NIV)

It’s not often that we look to children and think, “What can I learn from them?” While wisdom comes with age I believe that faith is the crown of the child. Jesus tells us that when we go to Him we need to do so as a little child (Matthew 18:3). We often think that means we’re to have faith like children. However, when we look to what Jesus says next, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4 ESV) we can see something different. It’s the humility of the child that Jesus is pointing out here. Not the child’s faith. Child-like faith is something that I believe we assign to children when the root of that faith is humility.

Children usually believe anything you tell them. I believe it’s this innocence of spirit within a child that we need to cultivate. Children are often open and honest with how they feel. If they’re happy and full of joy they show it. When they’re sad, they show that too. They are easily forgiving. I’ve never seen anyone make up as fast as two kids on the playground who are fighting one moment and, in the next, happily playing together. The mind of a child doesn’t fixate too much on things to come and lives very much, “in the moment.”

Therefore, we need to approach our lives, in Christ, like little children. We can believe everything that God says because we can trust Him. He loves us and doesn’t lie. A child can be told, in the middle of a disaster, that everything is going to be alright and they believe it. As the Children of God, we know that our Heavenly Father loves us. When we read His word we can see all of the promises that He has made to us. We can cling to the word of God and hold onto what it tells us. Hence, in the middle of the storms in our lives, that often look like disasters, we can take refuge in the promises of God, knowing that everything is going to be okay.

Do you know God? God knows you and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so that we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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