Remember when you were younger, back in your teenage years, how you would say or do something that was not befitting your maturity level? This general response that came from that action was a stern warning from mom or dad: "quit acting so childish, you need to grow up." Praise God, we grew up and are now responsible adults. Responsible adults? Well, maybe by our worldly standards, but where do we stand in our relationship to God, and our call to Christianity?

Our parents told us to grow up and quit acting like little children. Now that we are in the world, Jesus tells is this, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted, and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3-4). Wait a minute, mom and dad told us to quit acting so childish when we were kids, and now that we're adults, God tells us to be converted and become as little children. What is really going on here?

When mom and dad admonished us to grow up and quit acting so childish, they were talking to our physical being and mental attitudes. God is talking about our spiritual being, our inner man when He says to become as little children. Though we have matured physically and mentally, where are we in spirit? God knows, and He will allow us to see this as well; of we seek Him and His will for us. Does this mean we can act like little children, running amuck, acting silly, or drawing attention to ourselves? No! Again we are talking about the spiritual man, not the physical. He is asking us to have faith and trust in Him, as a little child has in his parents. When a toddler is in need, he reaches up to his mom or dad with open arms. There is no doubt in his mind. He knows mom or dad will pick him up comfort his need. This is the kind of faith and trust God is looking for in us. Having faith that when we reach out to Him, He will be there for us, trusting Him for comfort.

Can we come to God as adults? Many of His followers have come to Him as adults; but this is a physical state, not spiritual. Look what Jesus said in Luke 18:17: "Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." Although this section of scripture deals with people asking Jesus to touch, or bless their infants, it is also directed to new converts: "...unless you are converted and become as little children..." When we come to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we receive a renewing of the mind, and begin to develop our Spirit from infancy; we become as "little children."

"Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:14). Jesus commanded this so that He could lay hands on and pray for His little children. Now think about that for a minute...if we are converted and become as little children, Jesus will put His hands on us, and pray for us. WOW! Jesus' hands on us and Him praying for us, now that's powerful! I mean I pray for my brothers, sisters, and even pray for my enemies, as my brothers and sisters pray for me, but I never even considered that Jesus prays for me, just as He prays for you. All I can say to this revelation is WOW!!!

The Apostle John gives us some warnings that we need to pay close attention to. 1 John 3:7 says: "Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous." Let me repeat this part again, "...let no one deceive you..." Who is the great deceiver? Satan. Look at what 1 Peter 5:8 has to say about him: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." Satan's favorite targets are God's children, especially His little children [new converts]. Notice that this verse says "seeking whom he may devour." Satan cannot hinder you, unless you let him. That is why the devil seeks out those who have not matured in the Word, whose spiritual armor is tarnished or not put on properly. As we grow in our personal relationship with God and in His Word, we polish our spiritual armor more and more, and we learn how to wear our armor properly, and it fits better and better. As we mature in Christ, Satan's attacks become less and less, though he always tried to sway us from our Godly duty.

Another warning issued by John is found in 1 John 5:21: "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." He is telling us to put no person or thing above God in our lives. Family, friends, cars, houses, or pets; all things must take a back seat in our lives because God must come first, above all else. Satan would like us to believe that God is not all that important; but the minute be begin to believe that lie, we start down the path of destruction. We must immediately repent, confess our sin to God, and seek His forgiveness. "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Check it out, if we sin and ask forgiveness, we have the best lawyer ever pleading our case to God the Father...Jesus. Then John goes on to say in 1 John 2:12: "I write to you little children, because your sins are forgiven, for His name's sake." Show me a lawyer in this world who can guarantee us a victory like that!, and believe this, we do have victory over every situation through Christ Jesus. "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world..." (1 John 4:4). Thank you Jesus!!!

We need to take the Apostle John's warnings very seriously. Just look at Jesus' warning to offenders of His children: "...whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea" (Mark 9:42). A millstone was used to grind grain into meal. Generally they were about a foot thick and three to four feet across. I would guess a stone like this to weigh between 300 and 500 pounds. Can you imagine that kind of weight hanging around your neck, and being thrown into the sea...no swimming there! If this fate would be better then to suffer the wrath of God; I'd hate to even think of that.

So you see, just as our children are in danger of becoming victims in this world; whether it be from child abuse, drugs, alcoholism, o even being hit by a car; God's children are in danger of becoming a victim of Satan and his legion of evil doers. We don't have to be a victim, the Lord offers us the best protection ever available. To receive this protection, we must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; and, "be converted and become as little children." Accepting His Son, and having that child-like faith and trust in Him. That is all He is asking for.

For those who accept God's little children, there is a great reward: "Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives me" (Matthew 18:5), and Mark 9:37 adds: "Whoever receives one of these little ones in My name receives Me, and he who received Me, receives not Me, but Him who sent Me." Praise God, what an exceptional gift. There is no greater gift available to mankind.

In closing, I leave you with some words from Jesus, and the apostle John. "Little children, I shall be with you a little longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:33-35). "And now little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming" (1 John 2:28).

Heavenly Father, I thank You for these words You've shared with me, and I pray that through Your words, just one more lost sheep will hear Your call and become an active member of the Body of Christ. Thank you Father, in the name of Your Son Jesus, Amen.