By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Matthew 18:3-4 "And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." - NIV
The disciples were arguing about rank, position and greatness in God’s kingdom. Contrary to their views and the worldly system of assessing greatness, Jesus brings a little child before them and teaches greatness through change, by becoming like a little child. He made an emphatic statement, that one will never enter the kingdom of God unless they change – in attitude and conduct.
Change is inevitable in life. It recognises imperfection, that we don’t know nor have it all. There is alot we have to learn, unlearn and relearn if we are to make progress in life. To enter God’s kingdom, we first acknowledge that we are sinners, fallen short of God’s holy and righteous standards and can’t save ourselves. While in the journey of faith throughout life, we maintain a posture of continuous learning. And this is true for every endeavour in life we get into. Learning never ends because there is always something new. When we stop learning, we stagnate and die.
Change is best facilitated by an attitude of humility, respect for others and acknowledgement of our limited abilities. No one succeeds and excels in isolation. Jesus said we should take a lowly position of a child: simple, willing, flexible and excited to learn and change. Greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by such childlike humility. Jesus Himself taught and demonstrated it. Shall we?
Matthew 11:29 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
John 5:19 "Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."
Shalom children of God.