Rebirth- Becoming as Children...

It never ceases to amaze me how wonderful children are! Simple, yet complex beings, innocent, openly affectionate. I love my children! My husband & I have invested a lot of time and energy in them. Every once in a while there's a break-through moment when I realize we have gotten through to them. I remember being VERY sick last summer- lying in bed feeling awful and wondering how I would rouse the strength to get up & make breakfast. Suddenly there was a knock on the door and in came my smiling children with a tray. They had fixed eggs, toast & oatmeal for me! I was so touched by their thoughtfulness, I burst into tears. Bless them! In the past, I was drawn to "high theology". Delving into it made me feel like I was really something. I'd study it, then go around laying it on others- secretly feeling superior for my knowledge. However, there were a few things about my "high theology" that bothered me. The Bible says we are supposed to be as little children. The Bible says "My yoke is easy & My burden is light". My children are pretty bright, but I can't imagine them wrapping their minds around any of the heavy concepts I used to be pre-occupied with. (Antitypical Day of Atonement, etc.) Jesus taught in parables that simple people could understand. He didn't use jargon, scrolls or stories that only Jews could relate to- He was a lot more universal than that. There are many in the church today who dismiss the Gospel Message, calling it "milk" while uplifting prophecy & lifestyle issues as the "meat". Time and time again I've seen the church hold meetings and preach the Gospel for 1-2 nights and follow that up with a week or two of lifestyle and philosophical theology. If the Gospel is the "milk" why then did Jesus say, "Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you." It doesn't get much "meatier" than that, folks! The results of this faulty approach? We end up losing many new interests who feel overwhelmed by all the new concepts they must embrace in order to be baptized or accepted. Also, without a solid foundation in the Gospel of Christ, prophecy, lifestyle & fundamental beliefs will be of NO benefit. According to scripture, "Anything that is not done in faith is sin." Debates rage all around as to how to interpret prophecy and doctrines. At times, it's enough to make my head spin. Jesus told Nicodemus he needed to be born again. Why? Because having been a scholar/leader in the Jewish system, Nicodemus had too many pre-conceived theological ideas for the Holy Spirit to really reach him. Being reborn is like re-formatting a hard drive. You must let go of what you think you know & listen to the whispers of the Holy Spirit. Like Paul, I simply must say "I know one thing only, Christ and Him crucified." Whatever good He chooses to work in me is His business. When casting myself upon Christ, I become His responsibility. I didn't have to try hard to convince my children God exists, or that He loves them. They simply accept it as fact and love Him back with a child-like faith. For them, it's all very simple. God is love, He sent His wonderful Son who lived a perfect life, died for our sins, rose again and someday He will come take His friends home. Lord, give me child-like faith in the simple elegance of Your Grace.