As A Little Child

There can be no doubt that no generation that has lived on this earth has seen the extreme technological changes to this world that the last two generations have witnessed. As I sit outside with my laptop on this beautiful sunny morning connected to the whole world through a satellite driven wireless internet connection, my mind is taken back to a very vivid memory from my early childhood. I had just received a very bad haircut. I was not happy with the enthusiasm of the barber. After offering heartfelt positive assurances, my mother sent me outside to have the damage assessed by a very objective and unbiased friend of mine.

My good friend’s name was Pearl. I visited with her daily. She was the beautiful, gentle and very large horse that pulled the milk wagon down our street each and every morning. She would move automatically from house to house while the milkman delivered to each house. She simply understood that as he returned to the enclosed wagon that she was to move forward to the next driveway or walkway. There, right in front of her, I stood displaying my hated haircut. I even turned in a circle so that Pearl could see all of the damage. She calmly assessed my haircut and gave it a positive blink of her large brown eyes partially covered by the blinders used to keep her attention focused on her job and not the moving motorized traffic in the street. I felt in a very real sense her approval of the haircut and was immediately comforted.

I had displayed the unwavering faith of a very young child. I believed that Pearl understood why I was standing there. I believed that she cared that I was standing there. I believed that she was my good friend. I believed that indeed she understood my plight and was giving her approval to my haircut. As I look back, I am amused of course with the naiveté of that young child. In a few short years, maybe even months, such faith would be shattered by maturity and the world.

Yet it is that very kind of faith and belief that Jesus speaks about in Mark 10: 13-16.

13 ¶ Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
15 "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
16 And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them.

Are you close to accepting the Lord Jesus as your saviour? Are you filled with intellectual doubts? Are you filled with the doubts expressed by others in this world? Are you counting the costs? Although you want to accept Him, are you unable to make the leap of faith? The secret to the exercise is well known to us who have become Christians late in life. You can read the Bible, you can read commentaries and you can listen to convincing speakers in person or on television, but in the end, it all comes down to the childlike leap of faith. Once it is made, you can never go back and indeed you have no desire to do so. Once the Holy Spirit is within you, there is ample time and opportunity to research, to learn, to test the beliefs and indeed to intellectualize about your faith. All the intellectual pursuits will only lead you back to one reality…childlike faith is required for the first step. Jesus asks that you take it today.

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