“Truly I say to you, unless you repent and become like little children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter the kingdom of heaven [at all].”
Matthew 18:3
I have never thought about life this way until I read this verse.
I think there are many reasons why Jesus said this and why we should watch and become like little children if we expect to enter the kingdom of God. I believe it is in the way they think, operate, and a lot of ways act.
We need to study and copy the way children enjoy freedom. The way they act right now, before the mean world gets to them.
Children are unpretentious & straightforward; they laugh a lot. The main thing I think Jesus was relating to was the way children freely forgive and freely trust.
Children are confident in themselves, the way adults should be confident in themselves. Whether it’s your abilities or your physical appearance.
Children do not have a problem letting other children be different than they are. In the same way we as adults, could learn a lot from them in this area. I know this is what He was meaning by that statement.
Children are ALWAYS exploring something NEW. Amazed by everything (even the small stuff).
In all of these ways, we need to watch and study our children to obey the command of Jesus to be more like them. I find myself doing this a lot while he is playing in front of me. It’s pretty awesome to watch them as their minds work.
Learn from them.
When we stop “acting” like children, we stop doing daring, outrageous, creative things; that is when we need to worry. When you settle in, we slip into the world’s mold and to what people expect.
Don’t just go through the motions and put in time here on Earth; enjoy it and make the world glad that you are here.
We are not created by God to merely do the same thing over and over until it has no meaning left at all. God is very creative, and in fact outrageous. He frequently changes things up in our lives.
I think we have to be smart about this verse and what it means as well; it is not saying to never grow up and to not be responsible. You do in fact have to grow up and take on the responsibilities, but we do not have to stop enjoying ourselves and our life.
God wants you to watch His children and learn from them.