I’m not a mother. And frankly, children scare me, especially in large groups. A birthday party, playground, or museum tour group full of boisterous and rambunctious kids sounds like a nightmare to me. I run in the opposite direction.

But Jesus says that if I want to enter heaven, I have to be like a little child.

“Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew‬ ‭18‬:‭3‬-‭5,‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

I don’t think Jesus means I need to behave exactly like a child. Some qualities are less than desirable. I don’t need to scream at the top of my lungs when I am excited. I don’t need to throw rocks off a cliff because it’s fun. And I don’t need to grab other peoples’ toys from them or throw a tantrum when I don’t get what I want.

What an awful heaven that would be!

The childlike qualities Jesus highlighted were humility, trust, and innocence. Jesus loves humility, and He loves children.

Children haven’t learned how to hate, judge, or be ashamed yet. They are willing to play with anyone, and they trust everyone. Innocent curiosity and wonder rule their lives.

Pretty early on however, the lessons start coming. Someone tells them who to hate, who to fear, and who they are better than. They learn through pain who not to trust until they don’t trust anyone. Curiosity is met with more pain instead of joyful discovery so they become wary and afraid. By the time we are adults, we struggle to find any humility, trust, and wonder.

Jesus says to turn back the clock on those things, to throw off the painful lessons and to focus on loving, trusting, and being genuine with everyone. The world may call this naive, gullible, and weak, but Jesus calls it beautiful. He calls it heaven.

Dear God, thank you for the way you created us to be open, joyful, ready to learn and grow. I know it saddens you when the darkness of this world stains our hearts, and we choose to hate and cower in fear. Teach me to turn to you with trust for protection and to reach out in love to others, even though it may cost me. Help me to be like a humble child.