Mature Children
Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Matthew 18:2-4
I often find myself struggling to understand my relationship with God. At times, it is great where we are lock and step with each other. Other times, I feel lost and seemingly out of sync. Understanding God does not change, why would our relationship? It is clearly a matter of my perspective. Lately, I have focused on the importance of what Jesus said about being like a child. At first reflection, I focused on the fact that it somewhat contradicts with the teaching of Paul. To be more specific, Paul taught about spiritual maturity saying, “ I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world?” (1 Corinthians 3:2-3) So if Paul expects us to grow in Christ, why should we be like children? The truth is that both states of mind coexist simultaneously. In short, we must become mature children.
Spiritual maturity means us being closer to God without losing our child-like nature. We will often go through life growing in such a way that we will feel like we have learned the lessons needed and totally get it. This is when we must be careful with our relationship with God. There are times where I sense God has given me such wisdom that I have grown up and can handle almost every situation. It’s almost as if I am God, and therein lies the problem. Just as being a father to my daughter in my prior devotion, God always looks out to teach and protect us. But it is important to note that no matter how much I have raised my daughter from adolescence to being near 18, she is still a child dependent on me. That’s where maturity comes. We must always remember that no matter how much we grow in our maturity, we are always dependent on the one true living God. Maturity is not always knowing how to solve things as God does. It is often realizing we are not Him and when to turn it all over to Him to resolve the situation. It’s understanding when you have climbed as high as you could on the mountain that you still need Him to ensure you reach the mountain top. Biblically speaking, it is having wisdom to know where Philippians 4:13 ends (For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength) and when Romans 12:1 begins (And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him).
It is never easy to give up control of anything to God. But our having a level of maturity means we will know there are times we just cannot do it by ourselves. Trusting God means we have to learn how to surrender to His authority. Therefore, Jesus taught us to be child-like. It is to always remember that for as strong as we are with Him, we are not Him. That is how we become 'the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.' Let us remember to trust God to strengthen us in our journey and rely on Him to get us to the finish line. What part of your relationship with God needs greater maturity? Where do you need to submit to God in your life? My prayer is we continually grow in Christ becoming mature children. Amen.