Childlike Humility

Matthew 18:1-4

At the time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Jesus 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.”

My husband and I were very busy this past weekend outside of the home. This meant our littlest daughter was with Grandma or older sisters much of the weekend. This morning my daughter was so happy to see me and her top priority was just to sit on my lap and be with me. Any mother with a busy toddler knows how precious those times are when playtime takes a backseat to mommy time.

Is this what Jesus may have meant when He said to change and become like little children? When I pondered this thought this morning, I wondered how often do I just want to be in the presence of Jesus? How often do I take the time out of my busy day to just be with Jesus?

When I look at my children, especially the younger ones, I can clearly see how dependent they are on my husband and I for everything. They look to us to meet all of their needs for food, shelter, and clothing. They look to us for comfort, direction, discipline, knowledge, encouragement, approval, and love. They want to draw from our strength. They want to learn about the world and how to live in it and with others through our example. They want to be with us more than anyone and they miss us when we are away and wait to be with us again.

If we are to change and become like children ourselves does that mean we are to be totally dependent on Jesus for all of our needs to be met? Do we look to Him for food, shelter, and clothing? Do we look to Jesus for comfort, direction, discipline, knowledge, encouragement, approval, and love? Do we draw strength from Him? Do we go to Him for examples of how to live in this world and love others? Do we want to be with Him more than anyone else? Do we miss Him if we are away from Him? Do we seek His approval in our work and actions?

I know for myself, I fall so short in the area of dependence on Christ. My pride gets in the way. My need to be self-sufficient prevents me from depending on Him. My need for the world to approve of me takes precedence over His approval far too many times. Too often I follow the crowd instead of checking in with Him. I get too busy to just sit with Him.

So, today my intention is to pay closer attention to every detail of my life and be in discussion with Him on it. To be more aware of how I need Him in all things and to develop desires and habits to be more childlike in my dependence on and love for Jesus. I pray the same for you!