Like a child

Matthew 18:1-6, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whosoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, but whosoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the dept of the sea.” Unless we are converted and become like children, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. A newborn child cannot survive if left unattended. The child will wither and die. The child has to receive nourishment and human contact. It isn’t enough just to be fed for a child to survive. They say babies who are not touched have lower levels of growth hormones which can lead to stunted growth. A child who is deprived of touch can fail to thrive, lose weight and even die. Jesus’s words in Matthew 18 signifies that we must be like a child, dependent on God for our needs. When we come to Him on conversion, we must rely on Him in all our ways. There is a phase in a child’s growth termed the terrible twos. It’s when a child becomes a little more independent. Usually, it is at this time a child begins to have tantrums, is more defiant and frustrated as they learn to handle emotions and communicate their needs. They are exploring the world and trying to assert their own desires and needs. I think of these verses and realize that Jesus is telling us to depend on Him for everything. Without Him we cannot survive. When we enter the terrible twos, God’s love doesn’t lessen towards us and more importantly it’s at these times God instructs us and guides us. The vision I see when reading these verses is like the development of a child. The need of an infant not just to be nourished, but to have contact with God in order to survive. The need when entering the state of the terrible twos to be comforted by the Father when they stumble and fall. Only a hug or a kiss makes it better and allows the child to learn and to trust Him. To go to the one who loves them and keeps them safe and secure. To hold onto the Father’s hand when crossing a street. To know that His promise that He will always be with us is enough to continue. Yes, we must come to Him as a child, humble and trusting Him to keep us all the days of our lives.