Becoming little again

For me, the past two weeks have really been humbling. To give you a little background, last semester I was reluctantly looking towards the future, to the end of break and the start of my last academic adventure at Kutztown University. The reality of student teaching was not lighting a spark of enthusiasm within me as I engaged in conversations with my colleagues, family and friends. Through a lot of prayer, wrestling with God and a change of heart over the break; he has given me so much more than I could have ever imagined. It is ONLY by his love, patience and grace that my heart has changed.

"Now, to him who is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." Ephesians 3:20

Last week, I was thrown into the shoes of an elementary art teacher. I was here, the past three and a half years have brought me here. In a building full of little hands grazing the peppered walls containing dirty fingerprints, pink hairbands and overtly anxious boys running down the hall. "Slow down!" I find myself say, startled by my own assertiveness lingering in my voice. In response I get a look, and then see the abrupt change in pace. The day has begun.

As the day continues, I witness the character of these little ones. Their joy, the simple joy only a child can carry. A joy that isn't tainted with the suffering and frustrations that come with this life as we grow. I see their humble submission (most of the time willingly and without complaint) to their teachers. And finally, their love. A love that radiates and melts even the hardest of hearts. Through their care for a special needs student in their class with patience and love, glimpses of pure admiration for their teachers twinkling in their eyes and a gift of a hand drawn picture or letter and responses of regret spread through their bodies after caught in the act of misbehaving from their teachers.  The greatest in the kingdom of heaven are these, these little hearts.

Matthew 18: Jesus' disciples come to Jesus and ask him, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"

v. 2 "He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said, I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."  NIV

Humbly: Listen, Learn, Serve

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Proverbs 3:34

Children have a humility that is innocent and reverent. They know they are under authority: of their parents, their teachers and of God. At times, they do challenge that authority as they get older, but I think Jesus wanted his disciples to understand and see their humble hearts and that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven have a true heart of humility such as a child.


Listen: As God's children, we are commanded to listen. Listen to God's word and his convictions, to our pastor and elders, and to authorities we may be under. Notice a young child's willingness and humility when they are instructed. They are quick to want and earn favor in how they listen to those who care for and instruct them. How often do we question (not saying that questioning is wrong ) but when we are constantly questioning, challenging and complaining to God about his convictions, or simply refusing to listen to his word, are we really obeying him?

What if in our relationship with Christ, we stopped, sat and listened like a small child. Willing and eager to listen to what God had in store like a child; excited.

Learn: As we mature and grow in our faith we learn more about what God wants for our lives, how to live out our faith and how God's word applies to our lives. 

"And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." Matthew 23:12

A child willingly accepts instruction in the hopes of learning, once they do, they radiate joy and excitement. What if in our relationship with Christ, we humbled ourselves in order to learn from what God's word is showing us and through that, we remain humble as we help others learn? 

Serve: In the classroom, I have experienced such service from little ones, not for any gain but the fulfillment in helping out a classmate. Such beauty lies in those innocent acts of service. As Christians, we are called to serve. I know for me I take service and treat it as an avenue to glorify myself and as a result, I become self-rightous and prideful.  

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4

In our relationship with Christ, humbly serving not only brings life and love to the ones we serve, but gives glory to our father in heaven!  

Friends, Jesus took the time to share with his disciples the humility and innocence of a child's heart. This humility such as a child's reveals beauty in how we are to live out our lives for Christ. To Humbly: Listen, Learn and Serve. 

The End of Favoritism

Can you remember your first scar from favoritism?  For some of us it was sitting on the bench waiting for that moment to shine on the field, just to prove that you were good enough to that coach that picked the strongest, "golden child", or the one that flattered him/her the most. That moment never came and you felt invisible and useless.

Or maybe it was in choir and just when you thought you worked so hard and it was your turn to receive that solo you've been hoping for, it was given to the person who somehow got all the past solos. You're spirit was crushed and all motivation to try again slipped out of the previous note you sang.

Whatever your story was, we've all been hurt because we didn't make the mark; the world's mark.

Our world is filled and thrives off of it. Since the fall, we've had to fight. Fight for attention, for the chance to prove our worth, and constantly getting burned by being overlooked.

Something I have been finding a lot of joy in lately is knowing that The King of the Universe doesn't have favorites. A relationship with Jesus Christ is both exclusive and inclusive, how beautiful is that!? We can have the intimacy and attention and yet it's the same intimacy and attention that any follower can have by being in relationship with him. There isn't a need to compete and prove to him that we deserve a shot, in fact we don't deserve a shot at all but because his son Jesus was THE favored one that favor was passed on to us after he took all of our sins to that rugged cross.

In Matthew 20, Jesus tells a parable about the workers in the Vineyard. He tells the story of a landowner who goes out and hires men to work in his vineyard for the day and offers to pay them a denarius. Through out the day, he asks other men to work for the same price up until the last hour. After the day, he goes to give the workers their pay beginning with the last hired worker and gives them a denarius; the same amount the first hired workers were given. The first hired workers began to grumble and said, "These men who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day. " v.12  NIV

The owner replied, "Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?" (emphasis added ) v.13-15 NIV  

The salvation that we have received is the same salvation that your best friend has received despite how vastly different your testimonies are and the walks you have with Christ now! So, there is no need to compare yourself and your walk with Christ to your friends or their walks with Christ. Rejoice in the exclusivity of salvation and a relationship with Christ is the SAME for everyone but also rejoice in the gifts, talents, and responsibilities that you have been given by God and those of others! The inclusivity of a relationship with Christ is just as sweet!


When you are welcomed into the family of Christ, you don't need to prove anything! You also shouldn't compare yourself! There is no need, favoritism has ended. You have the favor of the King, and quite honestly, that is all I need. How about you?

Dear friends, I pray the beauty of this washes over all the pain you have felt in the past about not receiving favor and what emerges is a humbled view of what favor is and that if you are a follower of THE favored one; Jesus, you also have found favor with God.  :)