Becoming a Child

Children are a wonderful gift from God. I love to watch kids play and laugh. They have such a good time. No worries, no cares, they're out to have fun. I realize there are a lot of kids that have a very tough life and are treated very cruely. Nothing makes me more angry than to hear about someone mistreating a little child. I wanted to be the one to pull the switch on the lady in South Carolina that drown her two sons because she didn't want her ex-husband to get custody of them. I can't even watch a movie about a child that gets mistreated, but that's for another time. Children hold a special place in Jesus' heart too. He never refused or turned away a child that wanted to come to Him. He always took time for them. He also had a warning for anyone that would hurt one of them. In Matthew 18:6, Jesus said, But whoever causes one of these little one who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. I realize in the context of this passage, He was talking about Christians, but I believe He was also talking about our children as well. I also believe there is a special place in Hell for the one that abuses a child. Children are special and if we'll let them, they will bring joy and happiness into our lives and a special kind of love that can't be explained other than the love that comes from God for us.

In this study, I want us to look at what Jesus had to say to His disciples when they asked Him, " Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?". Let's look at Matthew 18:1-5 - At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, " Who then is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven? " Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, " Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me."

What is Jesus saying here? Is He saying we should quit acting like adults and become little brats that care for nothing but themselves. Always crying and throwing a fit when we don't get our way? By the way some Christians act you would think so. But I think what Jesus is saying here is that we should have the characteristics of a child; not the ones I just mentioned, those come from parents not doing their job in diciplining their children, but the ones that are built into every child. Those characteristics are what I want us to look at today.

1) Children are Active - You don't have to be around a child very long to find out that children are very active. They're constantly going and doing things. A child that is't active is either sick or severely handicaped. God wants His children to be active like our children. Jesus set the example in Luke 2:49 when He said, " I must be about My Father's business." and also in John 9:4 - " I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night is coming when no one can work. ". Just as Jesus was active doing the Father's work, so should we be active as well. In Ephesians 2:10, the Bible says, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. And also in Titus 3:8, This is a Faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

Does all this mean that Christians must always carry their Bibles and hand out Bible tracts on street corners? Not at all. What it does mean is that we should show our love for Him in our daily lives; at work, at play, and at home with our spouces and our children. God is not about to raise lazy children. We shouldn't put up with lazines from our children and He won't put up with it from us. He gives us the freedom to have fun and enjoy ourselves, but in that freedom we are to be active for Him. That could mean teaching, singing, telling others about Him, praising Him for what He has done in our lives, helping others, in other words, giving freely of the time He has given us for His kingdom.

2) Children are Teachable - In the early stages of life a child's mind is like a blank slate. It has to be taught everything. But built inside of each new baby, God has put the desire to learn. Children are constantly asking questions. " Daddy why is the sky blue? " "Daddy, where does water come from?" " Dad why can't I do that? " " Daddy why " are probably the two most used words in a child's vocabulary. They constantly want to know things, and that's a good thing. Kids will never learn things the right way if we as parents don't take the time to teach them. I believe the reason we have so many kids on drugs, so many street gangs, so many kids commiting suicide is because their parents didn't take enough time to answer their questions or if they didn't know the answers, to find out what the answers are. Our children need us to teach them. They're wanting to learn, we just have to find a way and take the time to do it. Just as our children are teachable, we are to be teachable.

When we first become a Christian, we're just like a new born baby. We have to be taught what is right and wrong. (Psalm 143:8&10) - Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning. For in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. And also in (John 14:26) But the Helper (the Comforter), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. God through the Holy Spirit and His Word, will teach us everything we need to know about how to please Him and the right way to live. The only thing we need to do is be willing to learn, to be teachable.

- ( I Peter 2:2-3 ) " as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. " Peter tells us that just as a newborn child desires milk, we should desire God's word so that we may learn and grow. Have you ever seen a baby drink milk? He deviors it and takes as much of it in as he can, as often as he can. That's the way we are to be about God's word. We need to become as a child and learn as much of what God has to offer us as we can. We need to become teachable.

3) Children are Dependant on Their Parents - Until a child is old enough to take care of himself, he is completely dependant on his parents for food, clothing, and a place to live. If he gets to go anywhere, it will depend on the parent being willing to take him there. Our children depend on us for almost everything. That's the way God want's us to be; completely dependant on Him. Look at what Jesus said, (Matthew 6:25-33) " Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? " " Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feed them. Are you not of more value than they? " "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? " " So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they veither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ' What shall we eat? ' or ' What shall we drink? ' or ' What shall we wear? ' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Our children look to us to take care of them, to provide for them. And most of the time all they have to do is ask and we will get them the things they need. Sometimes we get them the things they need without them asking. Sometimes we give them things they need and they don't even realize they need them. That is what God is willing to do for us, if we'll let Him. As a child of God we need to be dependant on Him to take care of us. It takes a lot of faith. But that's the way He want's us to live: " By Faith " . God knows the things that we need all we have to do is ask Him and trust Him and He will provide. Jesus said, (Matthew 18:4) - " Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. " Do you want to be called great in the Kindom of Heaven? Not in a prideful way, but Spiritually great? Not in the sense of being better than someone else, but being pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Then you need to become a child. Be active for God, learn from God, and depend on God as our parent.