Title

Childlike, Not Childish

Scripture
Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.
(Mark 10:15)
Devotional
There is freshness in children. They are full of life and the anticipation it brings. Children laugh, and do not fret about the things over which they have no control. The tendency of a child is to trust and believe. Thus they are wonderful recipients of faith. A young child has unconditional faith in his or her parents. Their world is not complicated by sin or doubts. They dream dreams and expect them to come true.
Children are moldable. They can be trained to obey the truth and reject a lie. This is to be the character by which we come to Christ; not just for the first time, but every time. We are to be loving, obedient children, full of faith and joy. We are to unconditionally trust our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, we are usually childish in our actions, rather than being childlike.
Thought For The Night
“When a little child becomes conscious of being a little child, the child-likeness is gone; and when a saint becomes conscious of being a saint, something has gone wrong.” Oswald Chambers in Our Brilliant Heritage
 
Evening Text
Mark 10:15: “Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
Looking for Answers
Evening Study Guide
Defining:  To be childish is to exemplify the sin-nature of man. To be child-like is to exemplify the nature of Christ.
 
Referencing: “When I became a man, I put away childish things,” 1 Corinthians 13:11
 
Applying: Put away childishness and endeavor to grow up into the child-like nature of Christ.