Come As a Child

Read: Romans 8:35-39

"I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. - Matthew 18:3

When the disciples tried to discourage the children from taking up Jesus’ time, He firmly reprimanded them with the words, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." How can adults become like little children in order to get into the Kingdom of Heaven?

To answer this question, take a good look at the characteristics of children. They understand that they are totally dependent. They live in simplicity and are naive and trusting. They are morally uncontaminated by the world. They are transparent and ingenuous in character. They have not yet learned to practice disloyalty or to hold a double standard. They have no taste for sinful behavior. They laugh readily and are easily entertained. They wear no “masks” and are not embarrassed by their spontaneity and sincerity. They are rarely anxious and they ask many questions of everybody and anybody who will give them a moment of their time.

To continue, children have no prejudice or hostility toward anyone that is different from them. They are frank, sincere, unassuming and unsuspicious. They are impulsive and free-spirited. They confide easily and have no secrets. They have no resources of their own with which to defend, care for or provide for themselves. They totally trust in their parents to be there when they wake up in the morning and to tuck them into bed at night. Their hearts so closely resemble that of an authentic Christian. They have unlimited love, hope, trust and faith.

Therefore, to resemble a child, we must come to Christ in simple humility, mirroring all of these characteristics. A childlike mind is open to being taught by God and to be led into all truth by His Spirit (John 16:13). Through the sanctifying process, we grow more and more every day like a child who is totally dependent upon our Heavenly Father. In the same manner that a parent enjoys feeding, cuddling, providing for and protecting their child, our loving Father spoils His beloved children, who give themselves entirely and only to Him with trust in His loving kindness.

When Jesus speaks of childlikeness, He is not referring to our spiritual maturity. God actually wants us to lay aside our childish carnality and to grow into mature Saints (1 Corinthians 3:1). He does not want us dependent upon the milk of the Word forever, but to grow up to eat solid spiritual food (1 Corinthians 3:2). Paul chastised the Corinthians for their immaturity throughout his letters to them. God desires for us to have confidence to approach His throne in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16); however, we are to derive our confidence from Him, not from our own abilities.

We have arrived at the point of childlikeness, when we come to the place in life where we are totally dependent upon Christ living within us. He adopts us into His family as His children, and we are then coheirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). God’s grace abounds in us at our weakest moments and makes us strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). Paul learned this attitude when he petitioned God to heal him of his infirmity. God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you; My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). As we surrender our life to Christ and rely totally upon Him, God will make us great in His Kingdom (Matthew 18:4).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, give us the heart of a little child, trusting and true. Help us to walk in sincerity without any guile. Teach us to totally depend upon the guidance of Your Holy Spirit throughout our day. Help us to walk in unity and to prefer one another with compassion and grace as we walk in Your peace. Thank You for providing for our daily needs as we seek first Your Kingdom (Matthew 6:33).

Thought for the Day:
Meekness keeps us from depending upon our human abilities, and makes us realize our need to live with childlike dependence upon God.

 

 

Thank you, Candice Bradley, for the use of your photo. God bless Jon, Kira Jean and you today and always...kat

Harvesting Fruit

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1

While traveling in the ministry with my family, I saw a farmer using a sickle to reap his grain. Then, a few more miles up the road, I noticed a young man using a sledgehammer to break rocks into smaller pieces. The scenes echoed in my mind and I knew God illuminated them to me for a reason. That evening during my quiet time, He showed me why. In my relationships I had a choice to either use a hammer or a sickle in connecting to people.

If I choose a hammer to pound out of others the characteristics I preferred not to see them exhibit, I risked the chance of smashing the tiny gem that God is creating within them. If I pound them over the head with scripture and insist that they walk according to my preferences, then I could discourage them from obeying God in the area in which He is directing them to change.

For instance, if their smoking habit bothers me, then I could focus on helping them to quit smoking. When all along, God was more interested in helping them to break free of a more harmful addiction, for example to illegal drugs or alcohol. I could ruin my friendship with that person, as well as thwarting God’s timing in their life, by insisting that they quit smoking.

So, instead, God wants me to choose to use a sickle in helping people to break free from their bondage to sin. In this way, I allow God to use me to reap the fruit He creates in people by harvesting their strengths as He deals with their weaknesses. I can encourage them to listen to God’s Spirit as He convicts them, to rely on His Word as their spiritual power and to pray with them and hold them accountable to walk in the way in which God is directing them.

God has combined the members of His Body and has given greater honor to the people who lack honor, so that there should be no division in the Body. In this way each part of the Body has equal concern for each other part. If one part suffers, every part suffers with him/her; if one part is honored, we all rejoice (1 Corinthians 12:25-26).  God uses our individual knowledge and experiences to help others and to make us all complete (Luke 22:32). In this way, we learn from one another, depend upon each other and spur one another on to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24), which benefits the whole Body.  

When we exhort one another, we come to each other’s aid and help. We bring comfort and encouragement to one another. In exhorting, our conversation is very gracious, seasoned with prayer; so that God will inspire our words (Colossians 4:6).  We encourage one another and build each other up, rather than dictating to one another or tearing one another down with condescension and self-righteous correction (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Some people will reject our spiritual admonition. This means they are not yet ripe enough in their hearts to receive the Word of God. If this happens, back away and give that brother or sister time to reflect upon what you shared with them. Pray for them. Do not push them into making some sort of commitment, because they may not be sincere. Once we’ve swept their spiritual “house”, if they do not fill it full of God’s Word and righteous living, then their prior demons will return and bring seven other spirits more wicked than itself (Luke 11: 24-26). God’s Spirit is available to anyone willing to overcome sin in their life, but we all have to make our own commitment to avail our self of His power and anointing.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, help me to walk in your Word and to be prepared to share it with others at Your direction. Help me to correct, admonish, and encourage Your people in the way that You would have them to go. Allow me to do this with the greatest of patience in my instruction (2 Timothy 4:2). Let my words be seasoned with salt, which will preserve their faith and ultimately their life.

Thought for the Day:

Every healthy part of God’s Body keeps us all healthy, growing and full of love.