Recently one of my children had a birthday. When asked what would be desired as a gift, the answer was consistently "You don't need to give me anything. I just want you to come." This scenario was reported to me by a number of pleasantly surprised parents. I was not only surprised myself, but proud as well, to know my child was developing an unselfish attitude. It was not a one time occurrence, either, but one that has been developing over the years and often brings me joy. It also creates a desire to do more for the grateful child.

Have you ever had the unfortunate opportunity to observe the opposite attitude displayed in a youngster? It has become a more common experience lately. Children seem to walk around with a long list of demands and expect the adults around them to fulfill them – pronto! It is not very attractive. In fact, I feel less inclined to give when faced with such selfishness.

Christ addresses the subject of attitude in Mark 10. I like the way the Living Bible puts verse 15: "I tell you as seriously as I know how that anyone who refuses to come to God as a little child will never be allowed into His Kingdom."

Never be allowed into God's Kingdom? This is a statement that merits serious consideration. And the example set before us is made by children. How does a person come to God as a little child? It has something to do with attitude.

Luke 12:31(Living Bible) tells us: "He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern"

If we are willing to acknowledge God as our Father then we may also accept that He knows what we want and need. As our Father, He is very concerned with our physical welfare but of prime importance is our spiritual welfare.

Philippians 4:6 (living Bible) instructs: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers."

What we say or do not say to Him tells Him so much about what is important to us. After all the Great Creator is our Heavenly Father and we are His children. We must remember that God is not there to continually dole out goodies but rather He takes care of our true needs, those that will help us develop Godly character. He wants us to be humble, concerned about others, and truly thankful for the many blessings we have – the ones that matter.

As a parent I try to instill good values in my children. I don't give them everything they want whenever they want it. Sometimes the best answer is no, sometimes it's wait. It's always pleasant to be able to say yes, especially to a generous and thankful child. I think it must be somewhat the same for God. He wants to give us the Kingdom, so like the children we watch growing up around us, we too must develop an attitude of gratitude. If we can turn our focus outward, we will see the generosity of our Father and find we have been infinitely rewarded by His presence in our lives.

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Last modified: 23/03/2007