"Turn and Become Like Children"

Some of my favorite photos are of parents walking with their small children. There’s serenity in that scene. Secure in their parents’ love for them, the children are worry-free, humbly going wherever they’re taken, trusting their parents to care for them. Though they sometimes protest, they know deep-down that their parents want to give them what’s best for them.

When Christ tells us to become like children, He’s inviting us to adopt the humility and innocence of children and abandon our fearful, cynical ways. Secure in His never-ending love for us, we can trust Him to care for us. We can believe that He will guide us toward what is best for us, what will bring us closer to Him, and what will bring us the happiness and peace we’re constantly searching for. He will do all this and more, if we ask Him.

Listen to Christ speak these words to you:

Do you trust Me?

Do you believe that I love you?

Do you trust Me to always be with you?

Don’t be so self-sufficient.

Don’t try to do it all by yourself. 

Trust me to guide you and strengthen you.

Trust Me to show you the way through your difficulties and decision-making.

Trust Me to either heal you, remove whatever is causing you to suffer, or give you the strength to bear those burdens. 

Just ask Me.

Trust me to give you all you need, and more. 

A child trusts her loving parents to give her what she needs to stay healthy and safe, not necessarily what she wants. Trust Me that I love you and want to give you not necessarily everything you want, but everything you need.

Some parents fail their children, but I will never fail you.

Recognize that everything is a gift. Without My love for you, you would have neither water to drink nor food to eat. Your very life is My gift to you. I’ve given you all of it so that you could see how vast My love is for you. And if I have given you so much already, know that I will continue to give good things to you when you ask Me to.

Trust in My promise that you will be with Me in My Kingdom, in this world and the next, if you trust Me to care for you. Make a deliberate choice to change. Turn from the fears that cause you to be self-centered, boastful, and cynical, and trust in Me. 

Christ promises to be with us at all times. Let us trust Him and take Him at His word. Let us become like children before Him: humble, trusting, and joyful. 

“Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” 

–Matthew 18:3-4

“Lord, I believe You love me. I trust You to give me everything that I need.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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P.S.

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The Power of Encouragment

 

I keep this verse in our kitchen as a reminder of the power of kind words. I also put it on the ‘front page’ of my blog for the same reason.

Encouraging each other is a simple way to influence how we see ourselves and what we might accomplish. A bit of reassurance might inspire a young woman to see herself as a valuable person who can make a positive difference in her community. Also, our encouraging words let a friend know we have confidence in him, which may help him have more confidence in himself.

Our words – spoken and written -- can build people up. They can instill hope and calm in the midst of chaos. When we encourage a coworker who’s struggling, our support lightens his load; it might make the difference between him giving up and persevering. Our words can also encourage a friend who realizes it’s time to try a new approach or move on to a different path altogether. Kind words assure her that we’re glad she’s our friend no matter what happens.

Encouragement is different from praise in that encouragement places the spotlight on the recipient instead of the speaker. It's more effective than praise, especially when talking to children. For example, notice the difference between “You worked hard on that!” and “I like what you did!” The first example points to the recipient and their effort; the second focuses on the speaker and what the speaker thinks of it.

“Encourage one another and build one another up.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

When you see someone searching, or struggling, or making an effort, try to shine the spotlight on them. Let them see – and believe -- the value of themselves and their efforts.

 “Let my words build up the people around me, Lord.”

 

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2022 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! Feel free to share it with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Thanks!

 If you would like to receive these reflections directly to your inbox, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.

 p.s.

We continue to pray for an end to the war. If you’d like to help the people of Ukraine through the Cleveland Maidan Association, you may use either PayPal or a credit/debit card here:

https://www.paypal.com/donate/...