2025.11.16 | Kingdom Greatness: Learning Humility and Dependence from a Child

Mornings in our house are rarely quiet. Between packing lunches, finding missing shoes, and trying to get everyone out the door on time, our kitchen feels more like a train station than a home. And yet, in the middle of the chaos, my youngest daughter still comes to me with arms open, just wanting a hug.

She doesn’t pause to see if I’m busy or worry about whether she’s earned a moment of my attention. She simply reaches for me, confident I’ll respond. And that simple act, reaching without hesitation, reminded me of what Jesus welcomes from us.

This week’s sermon in Matthew 18 brought that clearly into focus. Jesus doesn’t invite us to perform, achieve, or present ourselves as capable. He invites us to come like children: honest, needy, humble… and willing to reach for Him.

When the disciples asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1), I think they were asking a question many of us quietly ask. How do I measure up? Am I doing enough? Am I good enough?
 
But Jesus answers by calling a child to stand among them and saying:
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest…" - Matthew 18:3–4
 
Jesus doesn’t start with greatness. He starts with entrance.
And entrance begins with dependence, with admitting, “I need You.”

I’ll be honest: dependence is hard for me. Parenting guilt creeps in when I feel like I’m supposed to have endless patience and wisdom and somehow keep it together all the time. And there are weeks when overwhelm hits so quickly that I find myself running on empty before I even realize it. In those moments, reaching for Jesus feels like the last thing I remember to do, even though it’s the thing I need most.

But this is exactly the place Jesus meets us. He isn't impressed by our competence or our self-sufficiency. He isn’t waiting for us to perfect ourselves before coming close.
He responds to humility.
He honors honesty.
He welcomes need.

Just like my daughter assumes I’ll open my arms when she reaches for me, Jesus invites us to reach for Him with the same trust, not because we’ve earned His attention, but because we belong to Him.

The world celebrates strength, confidence, and being the one who has it all together. But in God’s kingdom, greatness comes from humility, from stepping down, not climbing up. It comes from letting go of the pressure to perform and resting in the One who carries us.
So if your week feels packed, noisy, or heavy… pause for a moment.

Let yourself reach for Jesus... right in the middle of your chaos.
Let yourself rest in His presence.
Let yourself be small enough for Him to lift.
Because in God’s eyes, that’s where greatness truly starts.

If you want to hear the full message and explore what childlike humility and dependence look like in the kingdom of God, you can watch the full sermon on YouTube.