Who is the Greatest?

And he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you change 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." -Matthew 18:3, 4

When the disciples got into an argument about who was the greatest, Jesus had a child stand before them. Jesus said in Matthew 18:1-4 that if they wanted to be great in God’s kingdom then they must start by humbling themselves just like this child. The Bible says in Mark 5:41, 42 that when asked to heal the daughter of Jarius the synagogue ruler, Jesus did not hesitate to do so. When the Lord found out that the girl had died, He immediately went to the home and with a word brought her back from the dead. The Lord did indeed love the little children and demonstrated that love in tangible ways. Jesus modeled patience and compassion toward all children with whom he came into contact. Reflecting back over the years, the most regrettable moments for me are those in which I was annoyed with one of our children. Most parents, if we are honest, will admit that we have lost our tempers with our children and said things in a moment of frustration that we later wished we had never uttered. Whoever said that words couldn’t hurt us was not dealing with reality. Cruel and unkind utterances can sting as painfully as a physical injury.

Our children need all the love and affection we can shower upon them. We affirm our love for them by reminding them that we love them and by also demonstrating it to them. We make time for them, attend programs at school in which they are involved, show up at the little league games and cheer for them, and celebrate their birthdays as sacred and special days. Our children are God’s gifts to us, and no matter how tough things get as they approach adulthood, resolve to be ever grateful that they are a part of our lives. Devoted parents will frequently reaffirm that their children are persons of tremendous worth and unlimited potential.

(From, "The Invitation: Embracing a Happier Life," by Dan Birchfield, copyright 2009)