Like a Child

So here in the Valley we are going through some changes.  The snow is melting...I went outside yesterday and didn't need a coat. Spring training is happening RIGHT NOW and I keep feeling the urge to grab my mitt and play outside.  This is good change.  But as you know, all change is not appreciated.  Change can be difficult...it can be painful and feel a whole lot more like loss rather than gain.  Now honestly I'd take warmer weather and baseball season any day over difficulty, adjustment, and unfamiliarity; and the reality is, for 98% of the population, change is harder to accept than the alternative...not changing and simply leaving things the way they have been.  We choose to stay the same even when everyone knows that change needs to take place for a healthier structure and continued growth.

At the church in which I serve, we have been dealing with change for the past few weeks and we will continue to deal with it over the next few months.  Some of the change has been unexpected and painful...some of it has been surprising yet encouraging and invigorating.  My purpose in leadership is helping people within the church to understand the changes and to accept those changes as natural and healthy.  With some of things that have gone on, this church has surprised me with adaptability and acceptance and I have learned amazing lessons from the church's reactions.

The truth is, for the everyday Christian, change is everything.  Change is mandatory for growth and development as well-rounded Followers of Jesus; yet when you look into the lives of many Christians, you'll see abhorrence to change and stagnancy.  Comfort is too often understood to be the most important part of life and as Christians we buy into that perspective quickly and willingly.  Well, in Matthew 18 Jesus is talking to the disciples who once again were disputing ridiculously trivial matters.  They were talking about which of them would be the greatest in heaven; essentially, they were asking which one of them Jesus loved the most.  Jesus called over a kid and wrapped the child up in a hug.  As He ruffled the child's hair in his hands Jesus said, "Truthfully, unless you change and become like a little child" (I picture him warmly smiling at the child about this time), "you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  So, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Now personally I think those disciples were already acting like little children...I mean, I can't even count the number of times my children have asked, "Do you like me more than Piper?  More than Emma?  More than Mommy?"  To which I always answer, "Absolutely.  I like you the best."  Marcy has run out of the room crying far too many times so I'm thinking of changing my answer soon.  Jesus answered in a much wiser way than me but His answer must have also caused some serious pondering in the minds of the disciples as well.  "Unless you change and become like little children..."  The disciples had to wonder what that looked like.  I mean, they were still trying to figure Jesus out (as their conversation clearly indicated).  And as I've thought about these verses, I think Jesus was bringing the disciples back to a core idea...a life lesson that would guide them into a future of service and encouragement in His Kingdom:  "Unless you change, taking on the innocence and fearlessness of little children, as well as the willingness to love unhindered by the past and hopeful for the future...you'll never be able to truly live in obedience to God."  Children are amazingly resilient (as a parent I'm thankful for this fact everyday); children don't carry the baggage of the past...they don't hold onto wrongs.  Change is an adventure for kids and stagnancy is not a problem most children possess.  Sitting still, maintaining a routine, is far more difficult for children.

I want to encourage you to adopt the words and the realities of Jesus this upcoming week.  I want all of us to let go of some of the strongholds we hang onto, in the "we've never done it this way before so I don't like it" attitudes to which we so often cling.  Jesus didn't have a home...He didn't stay in one place but He continued to trust His Father with every decision, every movement, and every opportunity to share life and light with people.  As you live your life, become like the child...humble, trusting in God and others, hopeful for a promised future, and ready for all that could be.  This attitude won't make all the difficulties of change go away, but it will definitely impact your perspective on that change.  Mostly, be open to the unfamiliar and watch as God smiles down at you, ruffling your hair in His compassion and grace, and as He allows you to become an example to the people around you.  I love His smile...