“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.'”

(Matthew 18:1-5 NKJV)

“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”

(Mark 10:13-16 ESV)

As I pondered these interactions of Jesus with children, I wondered how I could best describe us as children.

Firstly, children are dependent. From the time of conception and for years thereafter, a child depends on its mother or someone else. Even as we age, we often depend on others. Spiritually, we depend on Jesus to show us the way of salvation.

Secondly, a child must accept what is offered. Even babies will go hungry if they refuse food. Likewise, Jesus offers us forgiveness of our sins and eternal life, but we must accept His offer in order to be saved. As we grow older, of course, we learn how to accept or reject what we see and hear. In today’s technology-based world, we are able to learn so much more and so quickly. But with that speed comes the danger of fake news and the increased need to be careful about believing what we read!

Thirdly, as children, and indeed throughout life, we are members of a community. As children of God, we must continually watch for ways in which we can make our community better.

A friend, Sam, was born on October 16, 1920. When I moved into my current residence before the pandemic, Sam would often have breakfast at the table beside me. Even with hearing challenges, we would exchange pleasantries, and we became friends. Fast forward a few years, and Sam has graduated from using a cane, and now uses a walker. When he first came in with his walker, I gave him a thumbs-up sign and a smile of congratulations. Now, each time when he comes past my table, he starts to chuckle and obviously appreciates the recognition. A small act, indeed, on my part, but a contribution that I am able to make to a member of my community.

Let us all look for opportunities every day to do something positive for someone in our community. In this way, we can act as true children of God should.

Prayer: Lord, we are thankful that You have designed us and intended us to become Your children. May we recognize our need and willingly accept Your offer to join Your family through Jesus. In His name, we pray. Amen.

Copyright © 2022, by Vincent Walter <vwalter@bell.net>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission