Unless You Become Like A Child

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with some young children.  They were beautiful. 

Not just physically (although that was certainly true).  No, I'm talking about more than physical beauty.  These children had beautiful little souls that shone like the sun.  They had a certain "innocence" that had not been ruined by sin, or guilt, or shame.  They were happy.  They were carefree.  They were loved, adored even - and they knew that and rested in it. 

And as I watched them JOYFULLY reveling in their play, in their meals, in their parents, in each other - I thought - THIS IS HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE.

THIS is how God wanted it...and THIS is what He meant in Matthew 18:2-5.

"He called a little child and had him stand among and he said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - they were his children.  Mere infants in their understanding of Him...and they were innocent.  Walking around naked - every part of them exposed - they felt no shame.

But once they sinned, and decided they wanted to "go their own way", be their own god, then that innocence was shattered.  

I think of a piece of paper.  Once crumpled you can try to smooth it - but no matter what you do, the "echo" of those wrinkles will remain.  

So it is with sin.  Once we've sinned - it stays with us, forever marring our once innocent countenance.

That is, unless and until we become like a child again.  Over the next few days we'll explore what that looks like.