“At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “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” (Matthew 18:1-4).
We can imagine the surprise on the disciples’ faces when Jesus stood a little child before them as a symbol of greatness. Children possess special qualities that endear them to us. They have a humility that reflects itself in dependence, curiosity, wonder, affection and perhaps most charming of all, trust. They follow us wherever we go. They believe whatever we tell them. They totally surrender themselves to our care. These are qualities that even as we move into adulthood the Lord regards as precious in our relationship with Himself. And in God’s economy, they are the attributes of greatness.
This is such a stark contrast with the world’s view of greatness. In our secular environments we hear phrases like, “He had a commanding presence.” Or, “She is the smartest person in the room?” Or, “He or she is a natural leader.” None of these things are bad to possess – unless we become infected with pride because of them and forget that in the eyes of the One who is the ultimate judge, the heart of greatness lies in the humility of a child.
In our adult world this childlike humility will translate into qualities such as listening to learn instead of being a know-it-all, not regarding ourselves as superior to others because we have greater social influence, and maintaining a dependent attitude towards our heavenly Father in all our endeavors, realizing everything we have comes from Him.
Being a child of God does not merely involve being born again into His heavenly family, but also informs the way we are to conduct ourselves here on earth.
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