When I was young I wanted to grow up so quickly. Now that I am older, I don’t want to rush the aging process so much. Even though I love the wisdom you gain as the gray hairs increase in your head, I do not enjoy the physical challenges of getting older.
As we mature in age, we should no longer participate in the immature and foolish behavior we tend to engage in when we are young. 1 Corinthians 13:11 says: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”
Even though this passage of Scripture correctly exhorts us to embrace the maturation process of life as we serve the Lord, there are other passages of Scripture that teach us to remain childlike in our faith.
God wants us to possess both the wisdom of an adult and the zeal of a child as we follow Jesus! Proverbs 20:29 says: “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.”
While reading the Bible the other day I came across the passage of Scripture in Mark 10:13-16. It reads:
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
I have read this passage of Scripture many times before and have often thought about what it means to: “receive the kingdom of God like a little child”. If there is one thing about children, it is their complete dependence on someone else. They simply cannot take care of themselves. Their entire existence is based on someone outside themselves.
Jesus pointed to the children as a reflection of his kingdom. He meant that it was only our total dependence on God and our trust in him for salvation that secured us a place in heaven. Just as children wanted to lean on Jesus, so do we need to lean on him for everything.
Is there anything else we can learn from this passage of Scripture?
As a father of three boys who are 11, 9 and 5 years of age, I have had many years of experience observing children and their behavior. There is one thing that has stood out to me watching children whether on the playground or fields of competition. It’s the fact that they have such a zeal, fervor and enthusiasm for life. It never ceases to amaze me how much energy children possess. When my three boys hit the ground in the morning, they don’t stop until bedtime or until we have to knock them in the head…LOL!
Could Jesus have also been implying that those who enter the kingdom of God must possess a zeal, fervor and enthusiasm for our Lord? I think so! Apostle Paul believed that zeal and fervor were important traits for followers of Christ. In Romans 12:11 he wrote: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
The effervescent Gary Carter, who recently passed away, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003 after retiring in 1992. Carter played nearly two decades with the Mets, Montreal, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 11-time All Star finished his 19-year career with a .262 average, 324 home runs and 1,225 RBIs. Everyone who played with Carter could not help but notice his zeal, fervor and enthusiasm for the game of baseball.
Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "Driven by a remarkable enthusiasm for the game, Gary Carter became one of the elite catchers of all-time," Carter’s contagious passion for baseball earned him the nickname “The Kid” from his teammates. Of all the ways they could describe his enthusiasm they chose “The Kid”. Gary Carter played baseball like a little child and became a Hall of Famer!
Gary Carter's life and death reminds us that life is too short to not live it everyday like a kid!
As I grow older in life, I am committed to gaining wisdom and never losing a zeal for the Lord. I want to possess the perspective of an adult and the passion of a child as I enter the kingdom of God! I want to be “The Kid” for Jesus!
What about you?
2 comments:
Living in community allows us to benefit from the strengths of being older and younger. I had an older employee tell me that her brain still thinks fast but her body can't keep up. In my thoughts I quipped well my body tends to move fast and get ahead of my brain's wisdom. I'm not sure if the two ever meet other than in community.
Great post. Stay young and vibrant.
Great comment Jean!
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