Created to be childlike

Although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. (Matthew 11:25)

Think about the incredible advancements in technology that have come about in the past century. Computers that once took up entire rooms now fit on your desktop. People once doomed to die from horrible diseases now go on to live for many happy and healthy years. Airplanes and high-speed trains have made the globe much smaller. And yet the same problems that have dogged us for centuries—poverty, war, crime, abuse—are still around. Why can’t all this incredible knowledge help us tackle these issues?

The problem is that technology cannot reveal the most important truth of all: that we are children of God. Those whom Jesus calls “the wise and the learned”—the ones who rely only on brainpower—can’t quite understand this (Matthew 11:25). They can surmise that there is a God, but only God can reveal himself to us. We just have to be “childlike” and ask him to show us!

What does it mean to be childlike? It means acknowledging that we were created to have an ongoing relationship with God—a relationship of love, trust, and dependence. It means believing that God is committed to us as a father is to his children. It means keeping ourselves open to the promptings that God sends to us.

Here is one way that you can work on being more childlike in your day—even as you go about your very grown-up life. Make it a point to take some time to slow down. It’s easy to fill our days with activities, chores, and obligations and miss out on our relationship with God. Of course, there is much that we have to do each day, but it’s also vital that we not become consumed by it.

So spend time just enjoying God’s presence. Sit outside and absorb the sun, thanking your Father for the gift of its warmth. Or close your eyes, and imagine yourself taking a leisurely walk with Jesus. Put aside all the “grown-up” thoughts for just this time, and simply enjoy the Lord. Be like a child, and see what your Father reveals to you.

“Father, thank you for calling me your child! Help me to know you not just as the Almighty, but as Abba, my Dad.” 

from wau.org

Potentials

Most blessed are you among women. (Luke 1:42)

Don’t you find it remarkable that God chose to bring about his work of redemption through two unborn children and their mothers? Jesus was still in Mary’s womb, yet in his presence, Elizabeth and her own unborn son, John, were filled with the Holy Spirit. This short but powerful scene gives us a glimpse of the forceful love of God, who is always eager to pour out his life. What a foreshadowing of the glory of the risen Christ, who wants to pour his Spirit on all people!

Elizabeth’s pure and humble response to the work of God in their lives must have brought great comfort to Mary. In Elizabeth, she finally found someone with whom she could share her joy and awe at what was happening within her. Who else at this time could understand the song welling up within Mary’s heart? Rather than being jealous of her younger relative’s exalted position, Elizabeth rejoiced with Mary and embraced her own supportive role. For her part, Mary did not wait for Elizabeth to come to her, but hastened to her side.
While this meeting between Mary and Elizabeth is unique, there is something here that we can all experience.

 As baptized believers, each of us is capable of bearing Christ to the world. If our eyes were opened to the glory of this truth, we too would rejoice and be humbled in the presence of so holy a vessel as a sister or brother in Christ. Even nonbelievers would move us to great reverence because they too are created in God’s image and have just as much potential of being filled with the Holy Spirit. If God has so highly honored human beings this way, how could we fail to show them equal honor?

God used Jesus, even when he was just a fetus in the womb, to pour out divine life. Everyone, no matter how young or old, no matter how strong or weak, has been created as a dwelling place for God. So how can we long for God’s presence and yet disregard him in the people all around us?

“Lord Jesus, just as you opened Elizabeth’s eyes in the presence of Mary, please open my eyes to those who also bear Christ. Help me to honor the potential of each person to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

taken from wau.org

Scales off

Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. (Acts 9:18)

Imagine passing a stranger on the street who abruptly stops to talk to you. You try to ignore him and pass him by when he suddenly calls your name. Stunned, you turn and ask him how he knows you. He replies with a name that sounds familiar. You take a closer look at the unfamiliar face and recognize him as an old schoolmate. Those bright, familiar eyes—how could you not have seen it?

Within seconds, that face of a stranger has transformed in your mind into the face of a dear old friend. It’s as if scales have fallen from your eyes, and you recognize the worth of the person inside that unfamiliar exterior. Happy memories and a sense of love flood back to you as your mind goes from general indifference to active interest in the person before you. 

Today’s first reading shows us two people whose hearts suddenly soften. First we see Saul, who has had a vendetta against Christians, being blinded by the Lord. When the scales fall from his eyes, his heart is suddenly opened both to Jesus and to his followers. As a result, he turns his life around dramatically and becomes one of the Church’s greatest apostles. 

Then there is Ananias. He is scared of Saul. He has heard that Saul was trying to capture the Christians. Still, he valiantly trusts God’s word to him and goes to visit him. Luke gives us a moving insight into Ananias’ change of heart when he tells us that Ananias called Saul “my brother” (Acts 9:17). There is no sense of judgment, condemnation, or fear in Ananias’ words. Just the same welcoming acceptance that Jesus has for all of us.

Today, think about one person you are indifferent toward—and not just a stranger on the street but someone at work or in your family whom you’ve never connected with. Look for an opportunity to make some small contact with that person. Take one little step, and see where it leads you. Let God melt your heart. Ask him to help you see everyone as your brother or sister in Christ. After all, that’s how Jesus sees you!

“Here I am, Lord, stumbling toward you. Open my eyes to the dignity of everyone around me. I know that you love them. Help me love them, too.”

from wau.org

Imagine this....

The fever left her and she waited on them. (Mark 1:31)

Imagine Simon’s mother-in-law and her friend chatting over tea. “What happened at your house the other day?” the friend asked.

Simon’s mother-in-law said, “Well, I was pretty sick. I had a high fever, my whole body ached, and all I wanted to do was rest. But Jesus came into my room anyway and held my hand. Moments later, I felt so good that I began to make lunch for Simon and his friends. I was so excited by what happened that I had to get out and tell other people about it.

“I’ve discovered—both from my experience and from talking to other people—that when you meet Jesus, something happens inside of you. You can’t help but act. That day, I did what I know how to do best. I didn’t feel obligated; I could have kept lying in bed, but when you feel that kind of love, you just want to find ways to love people in return.

“I think that the love just starts to spill over. At least that’s what happened that day. Word got out that Jesus had come to visit, and by nightfall the house was filled with sick or unhappy people, and he touched them all.

“What was unusual for me was that I didn’t mind all these strangers at my door. Normally, I would be cautious, but something changed in me that day, and I felt a new kinship with these people whom I had never met. Some of them I may not have even liked before then, but it didn’t matter. We were all looking for the same thing. We had all been brought together by a desire to be with Jesus. They felt like long-lost brothers and sisters, and I had no problem welcoming them.”

“So that’s all?” her friend asked. “You felt his love when he healed you, and that made you open your door to other people, and they were healed as well?”

“Yes. I know it sounds silly, but that’s what happened. And it’s happened for so many other people. You should try to find Jesus yourself. It’s amazing what he can do!”

“I’ve got to find him! There are so many things I need help with.”

“Lord, touch every heart with your healing love. Move us all to serve one another.”

taken from wau.org