God calls us to become more like him, and he sent his son Jesus to show us the way. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells his disciples “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 18: 3-4 ESV)
Our natural inclination is to want to be the greatest. Like the disciples, we jostle for the best position, the most accolades. But here, Jesus tells us that our faith should be like that of a child: humble. Approaching God with a humble posture involves putting our pride aside. It means peeling open the flaps on the box we have kept God in, sure of our own understanding, and admitting there is more to learn. It’s being comfortable with the mystery and paradox of God, and quick to say “I don’t know.”
In considering what it means to have a childlike faith, we must start with humility. As Andrew Murray says in Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness: “Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with others; it is the root of all, because it alone takes the right attitude before God, and allows Him as God to do all.” Cultivating a humble attitude is against our nature; in many ways, we want to cling to our sense of control and certainty. This root of humility creates in us a firm foundation in which to grow in our faith.
Not only must we approach God with humility, but Peter reminds us to “clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” (1 Peter 5:5b, ESV) This might be a tall order in a world that values having the right answers and standing on the right side of whatever line has been drawn in the sand. But a humble Christian will be quick to listen to others, eager to help even without recognition, and bold with kind words. Loving others in humility may sometimes come at a cost, or be deeply inconvenient or uncomfortable. Every day brings new opportunities to practice! When we make humility a spiritual practice—with God and with others—we reflect the light of Jesus to those who cross our path.
Take a look at your to-do list today. How can you approach God and others with a posture of humility?
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*Feature Photo by Artsy Vibes on Unsplash
Sarah K. Butterfield 
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