I am the second guest blogger I believe and just wanted to give a huge thanks to Mr. Klem for permitting me to post as well as a huge thanks to God for saving me through the perfect work of Jesus Christ on the cross and resurrection.

I work as a lifeguard and this idea all of a sudden jumped into my head on a break. Is it important become childlike to understand the importance of discipleship? I teach children for a couple hours each day how to fine tune their swimming abilities and there are two constants in my class, “ooooo teacher watch me” and “oooo I want to go first.”

They enter my class with no relationship with me and are given to me by their parents and the children are to trust me with everything they have. They hope I teach them the right things in order to preven them from losing their life and thus learning a ton about swimming so in the future they will prosper and even teach others what they learn. Sounds a lot like the good news of the gospel right?

I was speechless when I was thinking about the importance of becoming like children and then also the link it has with discipleship. How many of us approach God in the same way that my students approach me? They want me to watch them go under water, watch them swim, wave down their parents before they swim so they can watch, and go first so they can show me they have been practicing.

How often does that happen today? Do we go before God and say hey watch this, wave him down so he can always watch us, become overwhelmed with emotion that we want to show him we have been practicing what we are learning?

Francis Chan in his Book titled Crazy Love(2008)  says, “Nothing compares to being truly, exuberantly wanted by your children”(55).

So is it important to God to be like children? According to the Book of Mathew,

‘I assure you’ He said, ‘unless you are converted and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'(Mt. 28:3).

Also, Peter gives us a look into another referrence into the the importance of childlike foundations,

‘like newborn infants, desire the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it in your salvation'(1 Peter 2:2).

How greatly underestimated are these two verses, ‘become like children and like newborn infants’ wow. How often today do we look at things through the lense of the world or approach things with what other people say? Rather, God tells us that unless we become like children, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Thing about the implications of that statement. Become like children, to depend completely on God, to need him to survive, and to want to make him proud because we are his children. Children can not defend themselves, supply food, shelter, and love for themselves. They depend wholeheartedly on God simply because their lives depend on it. There is no other option. Isn’t that true for us today no matter what age we are? Our lives depend on what he offers us, where we are headed, as well as how we respond to the world around us. BUT IT DOES NOT STOP THERE!

Hebrews gives an insight to the importance being childlike, but also how it manifests into discipleship,

‘for by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic princliples of God’s revelation. You need milk, not solid food. Now everyone who lives on milk in inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature- for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil’ (Heb. 5: 12-14).

Discipleship is IMPORTANT! Think anything else? Go search the scriptures and look at the example of Moses,Jesus, the apostles, Paul, Timothy, just to name a few. The Bible is drenched in examples of people like you and I learning from others who know more then they do, and then taking that knowledge and sharing it with people. Discipleship brings about a lasting bond that allows dependence upon one another to thrive. Accountability manifests under discipleship. Do you not think THE BIG 12 did not tell each other what they were doing?

I heard a quote once that said always have a Paul and a Timothy in your life. Continue to learn, and why not disciple someone if you know more then they do. That will create more able bodied individuals to spread the knowledge of Jesus Christ. That is a win win in my eyes.

So does childlike foundations manifest into discipleship? I would argue absolutely. I want to seek God everyday and say to him “ooooo watch this” and “ooooo I want to go first.” Along with please teach me something I can share with others.

Sending my Blessings,

Your Brother in Christ