I really do love my kids, but after hanging out with them for a lengthy amount of time I can’t help but think…
Jesus asked us to become as little children.
“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
And after being around kids for a while, you start to wonder: “Yeah, but not ALL the time, right?!”
Yes, kids can be humble, patient, and full of love.
Those are great qualities to try to emulate!
But there’s also a whole lot of immaturity and defiance and unawareness.
One thing I’ve noticed though is that kids have to learn how to listen to their parents, even when it doesn’t make sense to them.
In the last couple weeks, I’ve had a kid upset because they had to get strapped into their car seat for a long drive, another kid was upset because I wouldn’t give them a lollipop for breakfast, and another was upset because a block wasn’t fitting into the hole she thought it should go in.
From a parent’s perspective, this all makes sense.
My kids need to learn how to be safe.
They need to learn proper nutrition.
And they need to learn that some things just won’t work, no matter how hard they try.
But kids have a limited perspective which makes this frustrating sometimes for them!
I’ve realized that this is actually an essential part of becoming “like a child”!
Learning that we don’t know the bigger picture and trusting that SOMEDAY, we will see why what we had to deal with was necessary.
My kids may grumble about seatbelt requirements, breakfast foods, and toys, but they actually do a great job at also recognizing that there are adults who know more than they do, who are ready to guide and protect and assist.
While there are so many great ways to become childlike, this is one that might be a little less obvious but still so important:
We can be children who trust our Father in Heaven to know what lessons we need to learn when our wills aren’t aligned.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
