As Little Children

[Rivers]

My current calling as a nursery leader has caused me to reflect upon Christ's command to be "as little children."  

I find myself wondering what He really meant by that.  I spend a lot of time breaking up fights, reminding the kids to share, and comforting those throwing temper tantrums.  They don't seem like people that we should be emulating. 

Shouln't rather aspire to be like responsible and civilized adults?

So why would Christ give us such advice?

 

[Gray]

I would point to other attributes, like humility, innocence, and an amazing capacity to love.

[bluebell]

I think that Mosiah 3:19 sums up what he meant pretty well, though it's still not exactly like many children i know.

[ALarson]

5 minutes ago, Gray said:

I would point to other attributes, like humility, innocence, and an amazing capacity to love.

And to forgive....

[Duncan]

Child like not childish! I think we should be like little children because little kids are covered by the atonement and should we be covered by the atonement and kids are teachable

[Gray]

26 minutes ago, ALarson said:

And to forgive....

Yes! Kids are amazing

[Jeanne]

48 minutes ago, Rivers said:

My current calling as a nursery leader has caused me to reflect upon Christ's command to be "as little children."  

I find myself wondering what He really meant by that.  I spend a lot of time breaking up fights, reminding the kids to share, and comforting those throwing temper tantrums.  They don't seem like people that we should be emulating. 

Shouln't rather aspire to be like responsible and civilized adults?

So why would Christ give us such advice?

 

Perhaps because when they fought...when they decided to share..and there was comfort when in anger, they listened.

[Maidservant]

They are in the now.

They don't have complete paradigms yet that tell them things that separate them from God.

[bsjkki]

Being back in primary is helping to heal my soul. 

[strappinglad]

Maybe the little children in Christ's day were raised differently than they are today.

[Bobbieaware]

6 hours ago, Rivers said:

My current calling as a nursery leader has caused me to reflect upon Christ's command to be "as little children."  

I find myself wondering what He really meant by that.  I spend a lot of time breaking up fights, reminding the kids to share, and comforting those throwing temper tantrums.  They don't seem like people that we should be emulating. 

Shouln't rather aspire to be like responsible and civilized adults?

So why would Christ give us such advice?

 

If one wants to see a perfect example of an adult who has become as a little child, there's no need to look any further than the life of Christ himself. His profoundly intimate, intensely loving , tender moment by tender moment parent-child relationship with his Father is the greatest example of a Parent-child relationship ever known. The Christ clearly understood he was utterly dependent upon his Father for all the light, life, knowledge, wisdom and strength he needed in order to be successful' in his ministry and triumphant in carrying out his atoning sacrifice. And just as the worst living nightmare scenario for a little child is to be lost and separated from the parent's whom he loves so much and upon whom he is so utterly dependent, so too for the Savior the very thought of eternal separation from his Father constituted the very essence of hell. This is why some Bible translations have the Christ crying out in agony unimaginable, saying, "Daddy, Daddy, why have you forsaken me!"

Edited September 21, 2017 by Bobbieaware

[CV75]

17 hours ago, Rivers said:

My current calling as a nursery leader has caused me to reflect upon Christ's command to be "as little children."  

I find myself wondering what He really meant by that.  I spend a lot of time breaking up fights, reminding the kids to share, and comforting those throwing temper tantrums.  They don't seem like people that we should be emulating. 

Shouln't rather aspire to be like responsible and civilized adults?

So why would Christ give us such advice?

i think so that those who need to play the part of the woman sweeping the house for the piece of silver (Luke 15) to find the attributes can experience the joy therein.

[mfbukowski]

On 9/20/2017 at 2:00 PM, Gray said:

I would point to other attributes, like humility, innocence, and an amazing capacity to love.

Yep, this is a silly question imo. The scripture does also not mean that we are to go around with p...., Uh, with diapers in our pants.

[mfbukowski]

On 9/20/2017 at 6:06 PM, Maidservant said:

They are in the now.

They don't have complete paradigms yet that tell them things that separate them from God.

Dang, that's brilliant!  I never saw that scripture that way before- thanks for changing MY paradigm on that scripture!!

They are still in the Garden, before the Fall.

Who could NOT want that?   But to have that AFTER the fall and overcome the world...... Truly THAT is exaltation!

Imagine God as your Papa, you crawl into his lap and he hugs you and tells you he loves you, yet you know all you know now about the rotten world, and he gives you consolation and you understand the Plan perfectly.

I love the gospel!   Where else could you find ideas like this??