BY GREG CRUM

“And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” Mark 10:13-15

Here in Mark 10, we read of an object lesson taught by Jesus using little children as the prime example. His displeasure in his disciples prompted a statement that had to have given them more than a few moments of pause: “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” Surely they all wanted to enter the kingdom, right? What were they to do? The answer to that question is an answer we must also find the correct response to if we are to grow into our proper place in the Body of Christ today.

So, Jesus used children as an example of kingdom-ready souls, but what exactly about these precious little humans made them role models? Well, let’s think about this for a few moments. Jesus stated that we should “receive the kingdom of God as a little child.” How do children receive the kingdom? To answer that question, we need to think about some of the ways they do life.

It’s been my observation, and maybe yours as well, that very young children exhibit a lot of trust in their authority figures. They generally believe the word of these people explicitly. Why? Because they deem these people to be in the “know.” They know that they don’t know and they know there are things they need to learn. They realize they are still growing and they accept this with great humility most of the time. Very young children don’t usually have a know-it-all mentality. They have an “I can grow” attitude. They are teachable.

I believe this is the main moral of Jesus’ object lesson all those years ago, and I know it is a major factor in our continued growth in our walk with God. Success in the kingdom of God requires an “I can and I will grow” mentality, not an “I know, I know” mentality. Sadly, many people lose their growth mentality as they age. This leads to never fully growing in God as they could. Brothers and sisters, I don’t want to become a “know-it-all” that falls short of what I could know about God in this life and stunt my growth in Him, do you?

Here’s the thing though, if we are going to continue to grow in God as we age, we must determine to stay humble in heart and mind. I’m reminded of another object lesson Jesus taught that’s recorded in Matthew 18. Again, a child was used as a role model. The lesson? Humble yourself as a little child! Why? Because according to Psalm 25:9-12, God can only teach the humble. The proud? According to James 4:6-10, they get resisted by God, but the humble receive grace to learn and to grow!

Want to get closer to God as you get older? Want to keep growing spiritually all the way to the end of this life? Stay humble, stay teachable, don’t be a know-it-all, even when you do know more than those around you. Remember, there’s always more to learn about our Lord and he loves to reveal himself to those who remain in child-like awe of him.

Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.