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.”
— Matthew 18:3-4
In an article in The Kansas City Times, Robert Fulghum wrote, “Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.”
He went on to talk about those bits of wisdom he learned:
- Share everything.
- Play fair.
- Don’t hit people.
- Put things back where you found them.
- Clean up your own mess.
- Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
- Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
- When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
So many today have frankly overcomplicated life when what we really need to do is get back to the basics. That’s what Jesus was talking about in today’s passage: to live with humility and simplicity—just like a child.
If life’s gotten overcomplicated for you, then simplify. Get back to the basics of the Christian life by loving God and loving others. When you do, everything else will fall into place.
Prayer Challenge
Pray that God would help you maintain a childlike humility and simplicity in your faith.
Questions for Thought
How do you think people sometimes overcomplicate the Christian life?
What would your life look like if you got back to the basics in your relationship with God and others?