Whenever I see a video or post of a newborn child it warms may heart. Feelings of compassion overwhelm me as I consider the mother who has waited so long to see the life, she carried for nine months face to face. I also consider my own experiences with having children. Remembering the first time I held each of my children in my arms, I had the same thought. This child is my responsibility to love, raise, and provide for…I pray I don’t mess things. I understood that my decisions would no longer affect just me but those I have brought into this world. I wonder if God feels the same way about us when we finally decide to give our lives to Him. If you know anything about me once I have a thought in my head, I need to gain understanding. Feel free to join me in my quest as I share what I have learned.
Matthew 19: 13-14 is where my journey started. In this passage Jesus is in Judea healing a multitude that had followed Him after his teaching in Galilee. The Pharisees are trying to find fault in Him by testing His interpretation of the law and members of the multitude bring their children to Jesus to be healed. The passage states that the disciples rebuked those bringing forth children, but Jesus commands the disciples to let them come. Jesus says, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Many times, Jesus spoke to the disciples in parables which they would request clarification for. No one asked Jesus what He meant by this justification of allowing the children to come near. Yet there is so much to unpack in His words.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior we are said to be children of the king. We are reborn by the Holy Spirit and become heirs to Christ (Romans 8:16-17). But do you see that we are still referred to as children? And if we are honest, we feel like children when we first come to Christ. In need of unconditional love, instruction, a teacher to help us along our way. Regardless of our age, God calls us all children. He expects us to behave as children do. Think about a child who is learning to walk. There is a transition period where the child begins to test the boundaries by pulling up on stable objects in the environment. Once comfortable the child will start to test their abilities to use the objects in the environment to build strength. This phase of learning can take days or weeks depending on the support system that surrounds the child. When encouraged a child will let go of the objects that provided stability and built strength, taking small steps based on the instructions provided from the support system. There will be times that the child falls down crying due to the effort required to acquire this new skill. But have you ever known a child to stop trying?! Often they look towards their support system for comfort once received they try again. This process continues until the child can walk on their own.
Wow! If this is how our God sees us then why are we so hard on ourselves? Why do we think we have to have everything figured out before we start to do what it is God has asked of us. Why are we so hard on others? I believe that we move back and forth between being the children seeking God and the disciples blocking others from Him. Not purposefully but because we often forget what we had to go through to be where we are in Christ. The disciples had to learn to trust Jesus after they left all they knew to follow Him. If they are like people today, there were times when they were unsure of the choices they made. They may have wanted to turn back after failing to understand a lesson or provide Jesus with what He needed. Yet like a child learning to walk they looked to Jesus, their support system, to encourage them. Jesus saw them as His children requiring support based on their individual needs and He gave it freely. We too should see Jesus as our support, looking to Him for what we need.
It would be careless of me to say that Jesus is the only one you need in your support system to grow. A support system should be one full of those who love you, will be honest with you, and support your desire to live a life centered in Jesus Christ. As Christians, God is always revealing Himself to us we just have to be willing to take the small steps towards Him. Each step leads to another level of maturity we need to walk in the destiny He has for us. I pray that God provides you with a support system that will challenge you, encourage you, and push you past your limitations.
Remember God wants you to come to Him as a child. Looking to Him for encouragement in the steps you take towards learning who He is. Strengthening areas of weakness in your understanding of who He has called you to be. Teaching you that you can trust Him with all of your spirit, mind, and soul. Most of all that you are loved! You do not have to change just come as you are and you can change together.