They say you can only appreciate life when you grow old. They say life begins at 40. They say when children die, they are deprived of the opportunities to enjoy life to the fullest. They say these children have not fulfilled their purpose of life. And so on…
However, the biblical truth is… true life doesn’t begin when we grow old or when we have already experienced living in this world for sixty or even a hundred years.
These are the reasons why children truly appreciate life more than adults do:Life begins even before God has formed us in the womb.
'Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.' – Jeremiah 1:4-5 ESV
And even when we are still in the womb of our own mother, we can already enjoy life.
'For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.' – Luke 1:44 ESV
The purpose of our life on Earth, our whole duty, or the conclusion of our mortal life… is to keep God’s commandments – and prevent ourselves from being corrupted from the sins of this world. Innocent children are pure in heart and spirit. Children fear God more than adults do, because the latter are more likely to have doubts and unfaithfulness.
'Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.' – Ecclesiastes 12:13 KJV
In fact, the Lord wants us to be inspired by children, because they are greater than us in terms of the purity of spirit. Children are more likely to enter the kingdom of heaven than adults, because these little creations of God are least likely to lie, commit crimes, and have love of the money. Children are already happy to love and be loved by their family and friends. They are already content with the touch and embrace by their loving parents.
'At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.' – Matthew 18:1-4 ESV
Adults may not know and realize it, but the children are the ones who are most likely to obey the two greatest commandments of God, that is, to love God and to love our neighbors. Children love God and pray to Him when they are introduced to the Lord. Children love to play with their neighbors. They don’t gossip about the private lives of their neighbors, and they don’t hurt their neighbors as what adults do.
“Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” – Matthew 22:36-40 KJV
Children are also the ones who are most likely to practice a genuine religion, that is, to care and be compassionate with others, and to keep oneself from being polluted by material things, such as money and the lust of the flesh.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27 NIV
Children do see God more than adults do because they are pure in heart.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” – Matthew 5:8 NIV
The innocent children hunger for more spiritual things, such as love, joy, quality time with family, rather than for material things like money, cars, mansions, and fame.
“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
The innocent children whom God has taken are not unfortunate, but rather they are so blessed for the kingdom of heaven belong to them.
“Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” – Matthew 19:14 NIV
God has secured these little children.
“The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.” – Isaiah 57:1
Indeed, you don’t need to live a hundred or more years just to enjoy and appreciate life. Innocent children who died too young have already lived a complete and pure life. They have lived their purpose. They have inspired us, transformed us, and they’ve even guided us on how to save our own souls.
In the end, God wants us to return to Him. He wants us to be like what we were when we were His little children, pure in heart and spirit – uncorrupted by this sinful world.
So let the little children inspire us for they are the ones who truly appreciate life on Earth and beyond.