“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven.”
When you were a little kid, who was your hero? Who was it that you wanted to be just like when you grew up, outside of a super hero, of course? Chances are, it was either your mom or dad—at least that’s the way it was for me. Originally, I was going to be a nurse and live in the house right next to my mom and dad’s and carpool into work with my mother every day. I watched everything my parents did, admiring their every step; even when they punished me and I thought it was unfair, I would eventually just give into them—after all, they were bigger and older than I was, they were…adults. Everything in me lived for the moments when Dad would play Barbies with me just before bed (yes, his love was that great) or when Mom would hold me as I fell asleep—spending time with them was the greatest thing in the world. And then there were the questions. I was curious about everything, and the first person I would go to for answers would be one of my parents. I mean, seriously, when you’re that age, your parents know everything.
Every time I read Jesus’ telling His disciples and the people to become like little children, I can’t help but think that that’s kind of what He means—that childlike obedience and longing for our Father. Think about Him from a child’s perspective, and He’s so much bigger and more wonderful than from an analytical “genius’” perspective. Admit it, the vast majority of us find ourselves leaning towards the latter all the time. I often find myself becoming so obsessed with figuring everything out and obtaining every bit of knowledge that’s out there that I forget who God is—I block out the reason I desire to learn so much. However, I will say that when I consider all that I am learning—be it at youth group, in church, at school, or at home—it makes me realize how incredibly much I don’t know. When we spent 3 months in Genesis 3 alone, I was wondering how on earth are we ever going to glean everything there is to glean from the next 1,186 chapters in a reasonable lifetime. Think about it—if we were to spend 3 weeks in each chapter of the Bible (which is easy to do), we would spend nearly 69 years trying to get it all in our heads. Yeah…and we think we’ve got Him pretty well figured out right now, don’t we? Then there are big scholars who spend years researching to write an entire book on one miniscule little section of Scripture…there’s just so much of God and so little of us!
See, it’s easy for many to talk about the power and glory and greatness of God, but to actually live with that wonder 24/7 is rare…sometimes I find it difficult to even comprehend the uncomprehendibleness of God. But then I guess that’s the point, isn’t it? God—our Father—is just so immense that wonder and awe at Him should be immediate. Yes, we are to pursue knowledge and wisdom from Him, but we must also keep in mind His infinite greatness. Romans 11:33-34 says,
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?’”
It’s only when one lives with the wonder and innocence of a child, with a mind and heart desiring to take in everything pertaining to Goodness and Truth, that he can truly appreciate the grandeur of the Lord—that He’s the loving Father whose children see Him as the best there could be, as the One who sincerely has all the answers.
After all, can I form a single mountain? Take the stars in hand and count them? Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me? He is first and last, before all that has been; beyond all that will pass. God is God and I am not; I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting—God is God and I am man, so I’ll never understand it all, for only God is God. :)
When you were a little kid, who was your hero? Who was it that you wanted to be just like when you grew up, outside of a super hero, of course? Chances are, it was either your mom or dad—at least that’s the way it was for me. Originally, I was going to be a nurse and live in the house right next to my mom and dad’s and carpool into work with my mother every day. I watched everything my parents did, admiring their every step; even when they punished me and I thought it was unfair, I would eventually just give into them—after all, they were bigger and older than I was, they were…adults. Everything in me lived for the moments when Dad would play Barbies with me just before bed (yes, his love was that great) or when Mom would hold me as I fell asleep—spending time with them was the greatest thing in the world. And then there were the questions. I was curious about everything, and the first person I would go to for answers would be one of my parents. I mean, seriously, when you’re that age, your parents know everything.
Every time I read Jesus’ telling His disciples and the people to become like little children, I can’t help but think that that’s kind of what He means—that childlike obedience and longing for our Father. Think about Him from a child’s perspective, and He’s so much bigger and more wonderful than from an analytical “genius’” perspective. Admit it, the vast majority of us find ourselves leaning towards the latter all the time. I often find myself becoming so obsessed with figuring everything out and obtaining every bit of knowledge that’s out there that I forget who God is—I block out the reason I desire to learn so much. However, I will say that when I consider all that I am learning—be it at youth group, in church, at school, or at home—it makes me realize how incredibly much I don’t know. When we spent 3 months in Genesis 3 alone, I was wondering how on earth are we ever going to glean everything there is to glean from the next 1,186 chapters in a reasonable lifetime. Think about it—if we were to spend 3 weeks in each chapter of the Bible (which is easy to do), we would spend nearly 69 years trying to get it all in our heads. Yeah…and we think we’ve got Him pretty well figured out right now, don’t we? Then there are big scholars who spend years researching to write an entire book on one miniscule little section of Scripture…there’s just so much of God and so little of us!
See, it’s easy for many to talk about the power and glory and greatness of God, but to actually live with that wonder 24/7 is rare…sometimes I find it difficult to even comprehend the uncomprehendibleness of God. But then I guess that’s the point, isn’t it? God—our Father—is just so immense that wonder and awe at Him should be immediate. Yes, we are to pursue knowledge and wisdom from Him, but we must also keep in mind His infinite greatness. Romans 11:33-34 says,
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?’”
It’s only when one lives with the wonder and innocence of a child, with a mind and heart desiring to take in everything pertaining to Goodness and Truth, that he can truly appreciate the grandeur of the Lord—that He’s the loving Father whose children see Him as the best there could be, as the One who sincerely has all the answers.
After all, can I form a single mountain? Take the stars in hand and count them? Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me? He is first and last, before all that has been; beyond all that will pass. God is God and I am not; I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting—God is God and I am man, so I’ll never understand it all, for only God is God. :)
