Like a child — 2016.04.12

Like a child — 2016.04.12

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
Matthew 18, 1 – 5
My little son surprised me when, after eating his ice cream, he gathered all the wrappings and rubbish and threw it in the bin. We as adults were too proud, grown up, it was beneath us … But the little boy did not regard himself as too good for the job. The bible calls this humility.
When they were little, my children had infinite trust in me. Daddy can do anything. He is there when we need him. He always tells the truth. Everything is as he says. When the children grew up, they realized that dad is only human…
My children love deeply and dearly. Without thinking of themselves, without weighing pros and cons, they love, and they show it. It was only as they grew up that they became more reserved.
My children were able to appreciate all manner of things. They were grateful. To them it was a given that dad would take care of them. There was no question about it. They were happy, carefree and self-assured. Even when they made mistakes, they were able to admit it, and didn’t feel the need to hide it, make excuses or accuse others. They loved the company of other children solely for their company. The company of other children made them feel good.
These are some of the qualities of children that are lost somewhere along the road to adulthood. A pity, isn’t it?
Wouldn’t it be nice to be like children again in our relationship with our Heavenly Father? It would also be very good in our relationships with our brothers and sisters in faith, as well as in our relationships with our siblings. How would we handle a person with these characteristics? Would we despise them, our exploit them? No, we should become like children. God likes that! That is why God protects the children. He leads them. He listens to them. He loves their song, their joy, their gratitude… Can He deny them anything?
Yes, Jesus, I want to become like a child again! I want to be joyous, grateful, trusting and also humble. Yes, I want to be like you. You knew the Heavenly Father so well and trusted him with everything – I want that too.
Bible study for today: Galatians 4, 8-20


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