Before I get started with my post, I just want to give praise and thanks to God for me still being cancer-free! Thank you Jesus for your healing touch! 😀
"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.'" - Matthew 18:3
I don't know about you, but that scripture can seem a little scary. If Jesus says "you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven", that's something to take note of!
So what does "become like little children" mean, anyway?
Back in the time that Jesus walked this earth, the Greeks changed the way a lot of people would think about stuff.
Instead of thinking about stuff because you had to (to solve a particular problem, for example), folks were sitting
around thinking just for the sake of thinking. Maybe they thought it made them more enlightened or whatever, and
while God did give us brains for a reason, thinking on its own shouldn't be something you strive to do.
I bring up the thinking stuff because as followers of Christ, we sometimes "get off into the weeds" with our thoughts. Instead of just spending time with God, quietly communing with him, abiding in him and praising him, some of us let our thoughts go all over the place and we miss out on the presence of God. During praise and worship time, I often have to tell myself "Less thinking, more praising!".
Getting wisdom is a-okay
Sure, in Proverbs 4:7 it says "Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do,
develop good judgment." I think what is being said here is "Get the kind of wisdom God offers - it's good for
you!". I don't think it's saying "Use your brain to think about thinking and go down every rabbit-hole". The
wisdom God gives is proper and helpful. Sitting around all day thinking of the latest ideas is probably a big
waste of time and strength.
Those who have given themselves to Jesus Christ have Holy Spirit living inside of them. Holy Spirit is part of trinity of God. Holy Spirit knows much better about things than you do. I know, that might sound frustrating or hard, but it's the truth. Letting Holy Spirit lead your life is a much better plan than sitting around thinking about hypotheticals all day. God loves us, and Holy Spirit is a wonderful companion who helps us all day long. If we learn to hear Holy Spirit better instead of using only logic and reason, it's going to work out much better in the long run.
When God confronts our logic
God confronts our reasoning and logic constantly, and it's not to be mean or to make you stumble. It's so you
become more reliant on him, and less reliant on yourself. Think about the walls of Jericho. Instead of trusting
God, Joshua could have told his men "Everyone start hammering away at those walls! We'll get through eventually!"
Instead, Joshua and his men relied on God. God is the one who made the walls come crashing down, but only after
the obedience and faith Joshua put in him. Using logic and reasoning, circling Jericho, sounding rams' horns and
shouting to make walls fall down seems comical, but trusting in God, and being obedient to him makes the impossible
a reality.
Being child-like
So Jesus told us to be like children. Think about a child you may know. It might be your child or a grandchild.
Think about most young children in a fairly stable family. They rely on their parents for food, clothing and
protection. Do young children (again, in a stable family situation) have to worry about how the bills are paid? Do
they have to worry about where their next meal will come from? Do they have to worry about which clothes to buy,
how their blankets will be washed or how secure the windows and doors are from intruders? No! Children rely on
their parents (or guardians)! I'm sure we've all heard about dysfunctional families where the kids have to
raise themselves, feed themselves and protect themselves. What a horrible way to grow up! God doesn't want his
kids to be dysfunctional, instead he wants them to rely on him.
"The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced." - Matthew 13:22
"The worries of this life"
Why do people worry and fret about something? Isn't it because they are thinking too much about something and it
starts snow-balling? Instead of giving it over to God, they worry constantly about it, letting it eat at them and
makes them mentally and often physically exhausted. Hey, I'm not judging - I've done the same thing a lot in my
past! If a child you know was constantly worrying about something that their parents have already taken care of,
wouldn't that child be worrying for no reason? Wouldn't they be stressing themselves unnecessarily? It's the same
with followers of Jesus Christ.
This is the reality: Living in this world will definitely give you scars. Life on Earth is unfair, often heart-breaking and can knock you around. There's no question about it! But the difference is...who are we relying on? If we're relying on ourselves, we're actually making ourselves an idol! If we rely on God, his is just and he is loving, and while the situation or pain doesn't immediately vanish, he truly does make all things work out for the good of those who love him!
So rely on God
As far as faith is concerned, as far as depending on someone to help you in this life, rely on God. In regards to
evil, be as shrewd as snakes but as innocent as doves. Actually be a child of God, not just in name only.
Rely on him, trust in him, cast your cares on him. Yield your life to him and let him parent you. One way or
another, he will make the walls of your situation come crashing down!
God bless you, and thank you for reading! 😀
About me
First and foremost I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. After that, I'm a blessed husband, father and
grandfather. I do remote computer work for a living although it's mostly part-time. I'm an amateur
radio operator - AF7EC. When I'm not working on the endless list of house and car projects, I like to
tinker with electronics, like to listen to shortwave radio and write software (mostly open-source) in
C, C++ and Python. I usually bounce around between macOS, Linux and Windows for support and
development work. Overall, I am a big nobody, but always willing to share about Jesus and all that
God has done for me and my family.
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