our daily bread
Dexu Xia
Like a Little Child
Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. Mark 10:14
The little girl moved joyfully and gracefully to the music of praise. She was the only one in the aisle but that didn’t keep her from spinning and waving her arms and lifting her feet to the music. Her mother, a smile on her lips, didn’t try to stop her.
My heart lifted as I watched, and I longed to join her—but didn’t. I’d long ago lost the unselfconscious expression of joy and wonder of my childhood. Even though we are meant to grow and mature and put childish ways behind us, we were never meant to lose the joy and wonder, especially in our relationship with God.
How can you be more like a child in the presence of Jesus?
When Jesus lived on Earth, He welcomed little children to Him and often referred to them in His teaching (Matthew 11:25; 18:3; 21:16). On one occasion, He rebuked His disciples for attempting to keep parents from bringing their children to Him for a blessing, saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14). Jesus was referring to the childlike characteristics that ready us to receive Christ—joy and wonder, but also simplicity, dependence, trust, and humility.
Childlike wonder and joy (and more) open our hearts to be more receptive to Him. He is waiting for us to run into His arms.
Abba (Daddy), Father, help us to be more childlike in our relationship with You. We long to be filled with wonder at all You have done.
Faith shines brightest in a childlike heart.
如同小孩
让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们。-马可福音10章14节
小女孩快乐优雅地随着赞美音乐翩然起舞，虽然只有她一个人站在走道上，但她却不受影响地随着音乐手舞足蹈。她的母亲面带微笑，并未出声制止。
我看着这个小女孩，心情也跟着上扬，实在很想加入她的行列，但我没有这么做。我早已失去孩子的天真，再也不像孩提时毫无顾虑地表达喜乐和赞叹。虽然我们确实应该要成长、变得成熟，且离弃幼稚的心态，但我们不应该失去那份喜乐和惊叹，特别是在我们和上帝的关系上，更是如此。
当耶稣在世上时，祂也欢迎小孩子来亲近祂，并常在祂的教导中提到小孩子（马太福音11章25节，18章3节，21章16节）。曾有一次，有些父母把孩子带到耶稣面前领受祝福，但却遭到门徒制止，耶稣便指责门徒说：“让小孩子到我这里来，不要禁止他们，因为在上帝国的，正是这样的人”（马可福音10章14节）。耶稣指的是像孩子般的特质，让我们能接受基督，带着喜乐和赞叹，并且单纯、倚靠、信赖和谦卑。
如孩子般地赞叹和喜乐（以及其他更多的特质），能敞开我们的心，使我们更加亲近耶稣，祂正在等待我们奔向祂的怀中！
阿爸天父，求祢帮助我们，能像小孩子一样
亲近祢、倚靠祢，让我们能对祢一切所行的充满赞叹。