by Natasha L. Kohlhoff Polak

Created on: February 24, 2007   Last Updated: November 02, 2010

Jesus commands us to be like the little children. Matthew 18:3-5 reads, "For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me" (The Message). When Jesus stressed this to His disciples, he wanted them to change their mindsets. While He knew it was impossible for any of the 12 to change physically, He used the metaphor in speaking mainly of the mental and spiritual attitudes paralleling that of a child's. This was so that it was easy for them to understand.

How we perceive the situations around us affects how and what we believe and how we view the world. Adults tend to worry about the specifics of problems, often working out the details until they are overwrought with stress. The Jews in Jesus' day took great care in following elaborate rituals and commandments without even putting their hearts into action. The disciples themselves disputed because of wanting to be the greatest in Jesus' eyes. Children differ in that they are humble, not thinking of high aspirations, for they hold no importance to them. Children are also accepting, trusting, cheerful, hopeful, and certainly impressionable. The resilience that they display enables them to refrain from holding grudges, forgiving and forgetting easily. What a value it is to see how the young mind during those formative years captures the essence of life! It was with that in mind Jesus hoped to impress upon the disciples' hearts. He could relate to the children individually as well as collectively, for He, too, knew the way of living.

Children act how they are raised. While some may start out living in obedience and honoring their parents, others simply do not heed or are unaware of such living. In order for children to maintain that initial spiritual zeal lifelong, parents have to install that way of life themselves. Positive parental guidance is one of the most important jobs a parent could hope to fulfill. It not only produces a healthy child, but reflects the parents' true nature and completes the commandment to honor one's parents. Having parents as role models, children are able to live either in goodness or sin. Healthy children will be the ones who become adults able to maintain the "childlike" characteristic Jesus commands. Overzealous parents of either persuasion, however, will ultimately cause ruin from having pushed too hard or not enough, taking their children for granted, or thinking they themselves weren't good enough to raise children right.

Children know how best to express their feelings, and are therefore more willing to do what they think is best, rather than some adults who never seem to do much of anything. This includes putting off witnessing for the Lord and saying "yes" when they really mean "no", or vice-versa.

Children unabashedly speak their minds, without worrying over the consequences. While that at times can be a downfall in children or adults, often times-especially when worded right-it can be that dose of reality someone might need to get the message you are trying to get through.

As the wise king Solomon said: "Even a child is known by his deeds, by whether what he does is pure and right." and "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

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