Written By Ben Dankaka
Meditation – Mark 10:15
The scriptures say, “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). In other words, those who refuse to believe that Jesus is the Son of God will be unable to relate with God as their Father. On the other hand, whoever accepts Jesus as the Son of God will be able to relate with God through a father/child relationship. Simply put, anyone who receives Christ will not relate with a God as a slave, but would do so as a child (Galatians 4:7). Therefore, the quality of your relationship with God is determined by your beliefs about Jesus. As Christians, it is important for us to always think of God as our Father because God’s desire is not for us to act as His slaves but for every human to be able to call Him, “Abba! Father!”
If you can understand the ideal relationship between parents and their children, you would understand how your relationship with God should be. One time, Jesus told his disciples that “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child, will never enter it.” Jesus was not only speaking about the need for us to believe in Him in the same way that children often believe in the “impossible”. Beyond that, Jesus wanted His disciples to adopt a childlike attitude as they relate with God. Just as children depend on their parents, we too are required to depend on God. If children do not worry over what they would eat and wear because it is provided by their parents, why should we worry over those things when we also are children before God? If children would submit to their parent’s will, why shouldn’t we also submit to God’s will?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, teach me how to act like a child. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 10:13-16; 1 Peter 1:3-5
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.