As a Child

"...everyone who heard him was amazed and how much he understood. They also were amazed at his answers"
-Luke 3:47 (NIRV)

How often do you and I not stop and listen to the words of a child? We think we are to busy, we are too important and what can a child add to my understanding? I have learned something in my years as a parent and working in a ministry with children that the answer to that question is a lot. A whole lot actually.

If you've read Scripture, you'll recognize the above as the passage where Jesus confounds those who were "scholarly" and those who were supposed to know the law so well. I can only imagine myself being one of these Jewish scholars and hearing his words. I bet I could have been knocked over with a feather. Some of his understanding was undoubtedly given to him by God via the Holy Spirit in greater abundance because of the role he would soon fulfill in history, but children have an immense amount of wisdom that I think we sometimes take for granted.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul instructs us "...God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the things of this world that are common and looked down upon. He chose what is not considered to be important to do away with what is considered to be important." (1 Cor 1:27-28 NIRV emphasis mine).

Any time I get a bloated sense of myself I only need to read this passage to remind me of how things work in God's economy. Children have a sense of the divine because they are humble by nature. Humility is something that is cultivated out of them as they grow older. Children can teach us so much.

As you read these words I challenge you to listen. Listen for the voice of God in the smallest things. The voice of God can be heard in your children, your nieces and nephews, your neighbors' etcetera. God will use the small and "unimportant" to teach us what truly is important, which is walking humbly with our God in all things. I think we all could endeavor to be more "child like" in our faith.

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Carl is a freelance writer and seminary student living in Colorado Springs, CO. He currently writes on the blog site Thoughts of a Gyrovague and he can be reached at Carl@thoughtsofagyrovague.com