[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":98},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-can-you-learn-from-a-child":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-can-you-learn-from-a-child-surround":87},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":11,"columnName":69,"date":70,"description":17,"extension":71,"image":72,"meta":73,"minRead":74,"navigation":75,"path":76,"postType":77,"publication":78,"publicationUrl":72,"seo":79,"stem":80,"topics":81,"__hash__":86},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-can-you-learn-from-a-child.md","What Can You Learn from a Child?",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10],"Matthew","Psalms",{"type":12,"value":13,"toc":65},"minimark",[14,18,21,24,27,30,33,36,39,42,45,53,56,59,62],[15,16,17],"p",{},"Jesus' disciples asked him, \"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?\"",[15,19,20],{},"If you had been there, would you have thought to use a little child as an illustration? That's what Jesus did. He said: \". . . Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven\" (Matthew 18:3, 4).",[15,22,23],{},"Why did Jesus use a child to picture what he wants us to be? And why did he stress that we must \"humble ourselves\" like children? How do children illustrate humility?",[15,25,26],{},"They show humility in the way they praise God. Psalm 8:2 says, \"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.\" As the years go by sometimes our zeal for worship fades. Children, on the other hand, tend to be less inhibited and they express their love for the Lord with freedom and joy. Did you ever watch the faces of parents and grandparents when their children stand on the stage and sing at church? A sincere worship song from the lips of a little child can even touch the heart of a hardened unbeliever.",[15,28,29],{},"Children show humility by being curious and teachable. When my daughter Melinda was about 10 years old, I traveled to Ethiopia on a mission trip. I told her, \"Please pray for Daddy because I'm going to be flying a long distance—in fact I'll be on the plane nearly 24 hours.\"",[15,31,32],{},"She looked puzzled, so I explained, \"Ethiopia is in Africa, honey—on the other side of the world.\" By the look on her face I could tell she still wasn't satisfied.",[15,34,35],{},"She said, \"Dad, the earth rotates on its axis, right?\"",[15,37,38],{},"\"Yes,\" I replied.",[15,40,41],{},"She asked, \"Then why can't you just go up in a helicopter and hover until the earth turns under you?\"",[15,43,44],{},"What creative and curious minds children have! I never want to outgrow the wonder and the teachable spirit I see in them.",[15,46,47,48,52],{},"Most of all, children show humility in the way they trust God. Ten-year-old Josiah Stewart attended a gathering with his family where the speaker invited Christian writers to sign a list if they would be interested in writing a devotional article for the national publication ",[49,50,51],"em",{},"Power for Today",". Eager to participate though he was only 10 years old, Josiah signed the list, received an assignment, and his article was published. Here's part of what young Josiah wrote:",[15,54,55],{},"\"I know what you are thinking. Strong people win; faithful people lose. But let's look at it from God's perspective. Pharaoh and his army were drowned by a group of pitiful slaves. Goliath the giant was killed by a kid. Satan himself was defeated at the cross. Weakness becomes strength in God's hands.",[15,57,58],{},"Noah didn't know his future when he said yes to God's call. He became a ship builder where there was no water and a keeper of the largest portable zoo in history. Abraham thought his life was over when God made him a father to a baby son. And Ruth, a foreigner, became a grandmother to Israel's greatest king.",[15,60,61],{},". . . Evil is always with us. But God will protect us. Let's tell the world. Starting now.\"",[15,63,64],{},"Children have a lot to teach us if we will take the time—and have the humility—to listen.",{"title":66,"searchDepth":67,"depth":67,"links":68},"",2,[],"First Look","2006-08-20","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-can-you-learn-from-a-child","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":17},"articles\u002Fwhat-can-you-learn-from-a-child",[82,83,84,85],"Intergenerational Ministry","Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Discipleship","3u_AG4abz-TGXryfyDtiY0jl4cXqEj9U0PdX1DCSisM",[88,93],{"title":89,"path":90,"stem":91,"description":92,"children":-1},"What Can the Righteous Do?","\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-can-the-righteous-do","articles\u002Fwhat-can-the-righteous-do","Earlier this summer I spoke for a weekend retreat at Featherstone Christian Camp near San Diego. During free time one afternoon I hiked up a dusty trail and enjoyed a spectacular view of the southern California terrain. There was plenty to see: misty mountains set against a bright blue sky; cactus, mesquite, and yucca mingled with wildflowers; rabbits and ground squirrels, hummingbirds and butterflies, honeybees and lizards. (Fortunately, no rattlesnakes.)",{"title":94,"path":95,"stem":96,"description":97,"children":-1},"What Did Your Mother Teach You?","\u002Farticles\u002Fwhat-did-your-mother-teach-you","articles\u002Fwhat-did-your-mother-teach-you","Moms and grandmas are nurses, counselors, philosophers, cooks, listeners, coaches, problem-solvers, theologians, hug-givers and hurt-soothers. They are some of the most influential instructors we'll ever be around.",1790466192962]