Small children don’t have much control over their own lives. Even the every- day matters—what they eat, what their pastimes get to be, when they go to bed—are set for them. They’re dependent on someone else to provide for them, take care of them, and guide them. And, for the most part, children accept this. It’s not that they’re perfect in submission—they still have flaws— it’s that they realize their need, their powerlessness. They look to others to provide for them, and they surrender themselves to it. When the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest, they received an answer that leaned in the opposite direction of what they wanted for them- selves: the one who is childlike, the one who is a servant to others. Humility— not strength or achievements or charisma—is the answer. It is through humil- ity that we enter the kingdom of heaven, and it’s also through humility that we become great. Understanding that we need to rely entirely on God—that our successes are His and that He’s the one providing—is crucial to moving for- ward in our faith. It means humbling ourselves and admitting that He alone is in charge. That is when God can do great things through us.

Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:

According to Jesus, what does it mean to be “great”?

What was Jesus referring to when He said we need to become like little children?

What do you have trouble giving over to God to take care of? How might you become more childlike in your attitude to help you give it over to Him?