Becoming Childlike

 And said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3-4 (New American Standard Bible, NASB)

Converted means that we must be born again, and when we do, we become as little children in our hearts, where we can take on the characteristics of children- trusting and depending on God. It means being humble enough to look to God for everything. It means walking in forgiveness when others hurt us. It means loving Jesus and desiring to know Him more. Consider a little child- he must be taught by experience to distrust people. Children are typically very trusting unless they have learned to be otherwise. A child will love anyone. God wants us to be the same.

At conversion, we’re made like little children inwardly, and now He wants us to become who He made us to be so it is seen in our lives outwardly. He wants us to become more childlike in our thoughts, words, decisions, and actions. Evidence of this is when we become more giving in nature instead of taking, more prone to prefer others over ourselves, and more interested in listening than wanting to be heard. Note that I said, we are to become childlike, not childish. They are not the same. Childlike is having the nature born of God, and childish is the nature that is of the flesh and the devil.

Children can teach us so much about God’s kingdom. They show us that to enter in, we must be humble. We cannot enter the kingdom our own way- it must be God’s way; by depending on God. Children occupy a lower position in the family and in society, and that shows us that we must humble ourselves to take the lower position to lift others up higher than ourselves. It shows us we must serve rather than be served. We are to walk in humbleness of mind, thinking of others more than ourselves. We must be God-centered, and people-centered, not self-centered.

So, as we have been converted inwardly, God wants us to become that outwardly. Love is in us, so now we are to show love. Peace is in us, so we are to be peacemakers. The fruit of the Spirit is in us, so now we are to let it flow out of us (Galatians 5:22-23). The humblest will be the greatest, so humble yourself in the sight of God and He will lift you up (James 4:10). Be childlike, my friend!