Today’s devotional: becoming a little child
In Matthew 18:3, Jesus famously calls on us to “become like little children”—in fact, he seems to make it a condition of salvation. What does that phrase mean?
Today devotional from My Utmost for His Highest examines this verse and its meaning:
These words of our Lord refer to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives. If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God’s, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. When God through His sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God. Just because we have responded properly in the past is no guarantee that we will do so again. The response of the natural to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must “put on the new man . . .” (Ephesians 4:24 ). God holds us accountable every time we refuse to convert ourselves, and He sees our refusal as willful disobedience. Our natural life must not rule— God must rule in us.
Read the full devotional at RBC Ministries.
Becoming like a child isn’t a one-time event, in others words—it’s a continual process of learning to depend on and submit to God every day, in all circumstances. Are you a “little child” when it comes to your faith? What does “becoming a little child” look like in your everyday life, at your job, in your relationships?
What does “becoming a little child†look like in your everyday life, at your job, in your relationships.
PLease explain.
Van, I think the scripture in Matthew are referring to just how we respond to God. We are called to have “faith like a child.” Children tend to easily trust, believe, and have faith in things.
As I look upon my own little children; I agree with Michael that children trust implicitly – they tend to believe whatever you tell them.
The other thing I notice about my own young children is that they are completely dependent on me. One is not old enough to effectively feed himself. Another can eat some, but hasn’t figured out the microwave or the range – so while she can eat what’s available, she’s unable to acquire the food: She needs her father to provide her nourishment, her shelter, answer her questions, comfort when she’s scared…
I never really understood “God the Father” until I became one. Now my understanding is much deeper.
To be child like is really a choice. We have many choices in life n we can choose to pick what we like to do. But to be dependent on the Lord requires trusting in God who is the all mighty, all knowing. Cos sometimes we really don’t know what is really best for us n He is the One who knows the end rift from the beginning.
For those who are already converted, it’s like my daughter. When she was little the sun rose and set on her daddy. He could do nothing that she wasn’t tagging along asking myriads of questions which he had better know the answers to. As she got older she lost some of that dependency and though she still loved and respected him it wasn’t like when she was very little and depended on him for everything. So we are like that with our heavenly father. When our faith is new we depend on Him for everything but after a while we begin to depend on ourselves again. Things aren’t the same the absolute love and faith is lessened. God wants that perfect childlike love and faith we once had.
For those who are not yet believers this little child faith must be exercised to be able to know God. After all, you can’t see Him. It takes faith or believe in His existence to experience Him and have Him become your Savior; like a child.