UNLESS YOU TURN
Matthew 18:3
“Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children,
you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. WEB
When Jesus told His disciples that the greatest in the Kingdom was a little child, thankfully they didn’t feel excluded because He extended an invitation to them too.
I find it interesting that Jesus told them that the only way they would discover the Kingdom in all its glory was if they had a turn around in their own understanding of Kingdom greatness. The Greek word used is ‘stref-o’ which means… to twist, turn quite around, turn back again or reverse. (1) It literally means to go in the opposite direction. So if we are going to be able to begin to grapple with what it means to become like little children again, the first step is to be prepared to go in the opposite direction to where the world is telling us to go. The road to turning back again to your beginnings takes lots of courage because it is definitely counter culture. In a world that defines maturity as independence and self sufficiency, our Heavenly Father invites us to turn away from that definition so we can truly grow up in His Kingdom by learning to grow down. |
And for many of us, returning to the place of childlike vulnerability is a scary proposition. After all, it was when we were little, we got hurt by the ones who were supposed to love us. The thing is, God is not like any parent we have ever had. He won’t hurt us, He won’t use us, and He definitely won’t abandon us. He is the perfect Father! (2)
If the thought of ‘turning’ back to a childlike heart is scary, just ask your Abba to reassure you that it is safe to return there as long as you are in His embrace. My prayer is that His love will bring healing to every painful memory of being hurt so you can begin to make your way back to the beautiful place of being little again.
There is a saying that says, if you lose something, you need to go back to the place where you lost it. I believe when we revisit the place in our hearts when we lost our ability to receive pure love the way God intended us to receive it, by His Spirit, we can find it again!
The reality is there is a little child inside of you that needs to be reunited with the perfect love of both a father and a mother. May the Holy Spirit direct you in how you can turn back to experience a hug from your Heavenly Dad in the little place in your heart where you need it the most. (3)
If the thought of ‘turning’ back to a childlike heart is scary, just ask your Abba to reassure you that it is safe to return there as long as you are in His embrace. My prayer is that His love will bring healing to every painful memory of being hurt so you can begin to make your way back to the beautiful place of being little again.
There is a saying that says, if you lose something, you need to go back to the place where you lost it. I believe when we revisit the place in our hearts when we lost our ability to receive pure love the way God intended us to receive it, by His Spirit, we can find it again!
The reality is there is a little child inside of you that needs to be reunited with the perfect love of both a father and a mother. May the Holy Spirit direct you in how you can turn back to experience a hug from your Heavenly Dad in the little place in your heart where you need it the most. (3)
(1) Strong’s Concordance; (2) Matthew 5:48; (3) 2 Thessalonians 3:5