Be child-like in your relationship with God
A child tries hard to be good mainly to please father and mother. We want to do the same with God. Then, in the same way that a child often fails, we will also notice how often we fail. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- A child tries hard to be good mainly to please father and mother. We want to do the same with God. Then, in the same way that a child often fails, we will also notice how often we fail.
WHAT DOES GOD want to do for you? Only God himself can say. This much we know, because it is the word of God: “I think thoughts of peace and not affliction.” The Holy Spirit said this to the people of Israel through the Prophet Jeremiah. The words are as true today as they were 3,000 years ago. God wants to fill us with peace.
One of the wise men of our times wrote: “God is close beside us all the time ... always by our side. He stays with us like a loving Father. He loves each one of us more than all the mothers in the world can love their children—helping us, inspiring us ... blessing and forgiving.”
Jesus encouraged all his disciples to become like little children. He used rather strong words to insist on how much we need to do this. It happened one day when a few mothers wanted Jesus to bless their children. The apostles thought it was a waste of time to bother Jesus with something so trivial. When Jesus found out, he got angry at his disciples.
Mark’s gospel puts it this way: “Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me. Do not stop them! For it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. In truth I tell you, anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.’ Then he embraced them, laid his hands on them and gave them his blessing.”
What are the ways we can be more childlike in our relationship with Jesus? First of all: be humble. Don’t think you’re going to heaven because you’re such a good person and because you live a holy life. I hope you are trying to live a good life. But no child stands before his or her elders and declares: “You have to give me everything I want because I am such a good person.” Never stand before God demanding justice. Be more like the little children who expect their parents to take care of them only because they trust their parents.
A child tries hard to be good mainly to please father and mother. We want to do the same with God. Then, in the same way that a child often fails, we will also notice how often we fail. Instead getting depressed by our failures, we will turn to God the same way a child says, “I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
As one of the saints said: “Don’t let your defects and imperfections, nor even your more serious falls, take you away from God. A weak child, if he is wise, stays close to his Father.” The prayer of a child asking for mercy will always be answered. God will show you how to have peace in your soul.
