Gospel Reflections #61: Our Achievements or Failures Do Not Change God's Feelings Toward Us

Matthew 18:4 "The one who lowers himself and becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

It is human beings who are incapable of lowering themselves. We always compare ourselves with others and feel superior or inferior. We define our position by comparing ourselves to those around us in order to maintain status or strive to have one. We feel happy or sad, proud or victimized by the daily fluctuations in our rankings. There is no stability or security in such a world like of the adults.

I feel that children are completely dependent on their caregivers for survival, so they devote all their energy to what they want to do and enjoy what they can.

The Kingdom of God operates on an inverted system of values, an upside-down hierarchy.

The more we learn about who God is, and the more we learn about what human beings are like, the lesser we care about status and honor. We no longer need to protect ourselves from such things as honor and status.

God accepts us as we are, and our achievements and efforts do not change the way He works.

We are all sinners and children of God. We simply rejoice in God's unchanging love, and God will create a chemical reaction in us.

God offers that we can enjoy a vertical relationship with God and then He will help us take care in our horizontal relationship! Then the relationship between humans, regardless of superiority or inferiority, will surely be filled with joy.

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This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of Jesus. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from the Gospel that has filled her heart.