Childlike Humility

girl wearing pink camisole on brown plant during daytime

Matthew 18:4: “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

That verse caused me to pause when I read it the other day. I have kids, and although they are wonderful, they are far from perfect. And “humble” isn’t always the first thing to pop into my mind when I think of them. But while kids can be moody and self-centered just like the rest of us, they do have a humble curiosity about them that is both refreshing as it is inspiring.

And despite their inborn human selfishness, children also have a tendency to be outward focused rather than inward. The world around them is new and exciting and they are little sponges taking in all the novelty. They view their experiences with awe and wonder. They are seeking to learn from the world more than they are trying to prove to the world what they already know (I am assuming this is reversed in the teenage years). I think this is a part of childlike humility.

But as we age, the marvelous becomes mundane. We start missing all the wonderful things in our lives. We are less likely to search out new things. We become fixated on ourselves and more self-conscious. We focus on what we already know rather than what we could learn.

We must hold on to that childlike humility, seeking to continue to serve and learn from the world around us.

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