Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 18:2-3 NKJV
If you spend time with children, you know that they have to depend on others. They have to humble themselves and trust in their caretaker. They don’t have any resources of their own, and they have not had any accomplishments that have brought pride into their lives. They have total dependence on those who care for them. Children are also excited to learn new things and eager to please those who care for them.

If only we were that way with God. Just imagine if we could surrender ourselves to being totally under God’s control. The truth is everything, and everyone is under God’s control, but our lives become much more complicated when we try to take that control away. God gives us free will, and He will sometimes give us up to whatever bad thing it is that we want (Romans 1:18-24). So, we must be careful.

When an adult is referred to as childish, this usually carries a negative connotation. But Jesus is saying here that unless we become like children or childish, we will never see the kingdom of God.

Let me clarify here that when Jesus says we must become like children, He doesn’t mean that we should go around throwing tantrums when things don’t go our way. He means that we should rely on God our Father. We should trust in Him to provide for us. We should trust in Him to love us, take good care of us, and protect us.

The more I tried to be what the world considers a grown-up, the more I suffered. Life became much easier when I chose to reside in God’s shelter. When I trusted my Father in heaven to guide me in all I do, it gave me a childlike peace.

Maybe like me, there are times when you long to be a child again. You may long to be taken care of by parents who love and protect you. You may miss the times when all you ever needed was provided for you, and you didn’t have to worry. I often think back to those simple, easy days in my life and long to be back in my parents’ home, surrounded by their love, knowing they would take care of me.

I know some didn’t have such fond memories growing up, or perhaps didn’t have parents who gave them the love and affection they needed. In some cases, parents are abusive, and the Bible tells us God will deal harshly with anyone who hurts a child.

You can find this love and peace with your heavenly Father. He wants to love you and protect you and take good care of you, but you must agree to let Him do that.

I can tell you from personal experience that being a grown-up is overrated. I can remember longing to be old enough to be out on my own when I was young. It didn’t take long to figure out that it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Adulting is hard, but with God’s help, we can get through it.

The most important thing for us is to be sure that we are truly a child of God. Do you know for certain that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life? Can you honestly say you are a blood-bought child of God? Many people falsely believe that we are all God’s children, but this is not true. We must not only believe in Him, but we must receive Christ as our Savior (John 1:12).

If adulting has become too hard, turn to your heavenly Father. Let Him wrap you in His love and take good care of you. Believe in and receive Him and enjoy being childish in His warm embrace.

Have a great day!