15 People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

When I consider the meaning behind this text I had to ask myself, what qualities of a child does God value so much that He would use them as a standard by which we can compare our adult selves to?

So of course, I started a small list (lists are my favorite) of tendencies and qualities children have that are precious to Jesus. 

1. Children are completely dependent on their parents. God wants us to be completely dependent on Him. 
2. Children are bold. For some adults, as we grow older our boldness can dwindle and even become nonexistent. We should be bold for Christ! 
3. Children are honest. When they need something, feel something or want something. They will tell you! For some reason, as we get older or at some points in our life we stop being honest with God. 
4. Children are talkative and inquisitive, telling you the many things they learned in a day or are quick to ask why a thousand times. God wants his family to talk to him daily and have a deep enough curiosity and desire for his words. 
5. Children don’t wait to be loving. They will randomly hug and say I love you. God wants us to be quick to love!
6. In the nicest way possible, children are helpless. They know that they have to get ALL their needs met by their parents. Are we 100%  confident and sure that God will supply all our needs?
7. Children have a pureness and innocence about them. This isn’t to say they dont act up or have their days but in certain situations they are quick to believe and perceive what others cannot. 

After making this list, I was in awe at how God teaches. A few verses contained so much but could have been missed if I didn’t act like a child and ask “why?”.

With these verses in mind and with Christmas tomorrow and the many gifts to be opened, I continued to think about children and the gift of God, salvation. We know Christmas is to glorify and honor Jesus’ miraculous birth but if God has blessed you financially, gifts will also be given just as the Wise Men honored and bought gifts. 

So again, let’s receive the gift of salvation with enthusiasm and excitement as a child opening a gift on Christmas morning. 

Let’s share the gospel boldly far and wide with someone this season just like a child would go parading around their new gift after unwrapping it, going from person to person saying “Look what I got”. 

Let’s spend time with Jesus just as a child runs off in a corner to be undisturbed while immediately playing with their new gift.

Merry Christmas!

See you next week!