'Become Like Little Children'

Being a preschool teacher is an opportunity to see the childlike nature God desires of us at work.

by Lisa Damour

As I walk down the hall to my classroom at 7:30 in the morning, I hear the familiar sounds of one of my little boys screaming. As I do, I can't help but think it's going to be one of those days.

As soon as I enter the room, he runs to me with tears streaming down his little face, crying, "Ms. Lisa, Ms. Lisa." After giving him a reassuring hug, I gather up the shoes he has kicked across the room and head to the kitchen to fix breakfast for the rest of our friends.

The golden rule

Most of the children have arrived in the classroom by midmorning. There is the customary pushing and fighting over toys or any number of other crises typical to three- and four-year-old children. Yes, it really is going to be one of those days.

Later, we sit down for our daily Bible lesson. Considering how our day has been going, I decide to teach about the golden rule. It's a subject we cover often, my hope being that something will sink in one day.

When asked what the golden rule means to them, a symphony of little voices chime in with "Treat others like you want them to treat you." We talk about how it applies to daily crises such as whether you should push someone who has pushed you. They all agree that we haven't been practicing it today.

I asked what they thought we needed to do to help us practice the golden rule. One beautiful little girl raised her hand and said, "We can pray."

Wow! It caught me off guard. That was not the answer I was expecting from a three-year-old child. So, of course, that is what we did. That's when it hit me what Jesus Christ meant when He said we should become like little children.

Become childlike

Jesus tells us that becoming like a child is one of the major keys to true conversion (Matthew 19:14). But what does that mean?

Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn52/littlechildren.htm

Related Information on UCG Sites:

Table of Contents that includes "'Become Like Little Children'"
Other Articles by Lisa Damour

Conversion examples:

Humility:

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