Last week I had the opportunity to substitute teach a classroom full of 1^st graders at a local Christian school. My wife said I was crazy for taking this on—a “glutton for punishment.” She’s not wrong. Signing up to teach and corral 19 six and seven-year-olds on their first full week of school is fraught with danger. It’s eight hours of non-stop instructing, correcting, and keeping your head on a swivel. At the end of each day, I wanted to lie in a fetal position on the floor of my bedroom closet and not talk to anyone or answer any questions. By Friday afternoon, my appreciation for full-time teachers was at an all-time high. They are underpaid and underappreciated.

Still, it was an amazing week. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” High stakes—He’s got my attention. But what does He mean by that? His charge, on the surface, sounds counter-intuitive. Shouldn’t 1^st graders strive to become more like you and me? Perhaps in some ways. But this week reminded me of how much I can learn from a 1^stgrader…

1^st Graders are dependent on others and know it. These young people are at the mercy of their parents, teachers, and others to provide for them and sustain them. For 450 minutes each day last week, they humbly came to me for help tying shoes, opening milk cartons, microwaving chicken nuggets, making capital letters, and a hundred other tasks. They trusted me to do the right thing and help them solve each challenge. Similarly, God wants us to totally rely on Him. Too often, I strive for self-sufficiency. I pat myself on the back for some achievement, forgetting that every talent and ability I have comes from God. Apart from Jesus—the vine—I am nothing. (John 15:5) I need to empty myself, trust God, and humbly ask Him to fill me and sustain me. Without Him, I’m left with untied shoes and unopened milk cartons.

1^st Graders are vulnerable and transparent. On Monday morning, the second day of school, I asked the students to complete a “First Day Feelings with Chester” chart. One by one, they indicated whether, on day one, they were mostly “Excited,” “Happy,” “Sad,” or “Scared.” Eleven of the 19 students, over half the class, admitted to being either “Sad” or “Scared.” Several commented that they missed their parents or were nervous about what to expect on the first day of a new school year. I appreciated their honesty and vulnerability. Too often, when someone asks how we’re doing, we say, “Fine,” even when things are not fine. We put on our happy faces, especially in church settings, and rarely ask for prayers or help. Here’s the problem: I can’t bear your burden (Galatians 6:2) if I don’t know what burdens you, and you can’t do the same for me. Whenever things are not “fine,” a 1^st grader will let you know. Let’s learn from them and get the prayers and support we need.

1^st Graders are loving. Oh, sure, there were moments of unkindness—not sharing or not including someone in a game at recess. But there were far more moments of kindness. As they lined up in the hallway waiting for their turn at the restroom on Tuesday, one young lady informed me that her friend was sad. Sure enough, there was another young lady in line with her head down, crying. I hadn’t noticed her but her friend had. She trusted me to investigate and do something to remedy the situation, which I did. Do we notice hurting friends? Do we do something to help them or involve someone who can? Do we pray for them? Becoming like a child involves having the sweet, caring heart of a child. 

1^st Graders are curious and eager to learn. I love the joy on a child’s face when they work hard and finally figure something out. These young people watched and listened intently as I illustrated on the smartboard how prayer is us talking to God and reading the Bible is God talking to us. Later, one girl proudly and correctly used the word “cooperation” in a sentence—a word we had learned that morning. As I asked them questions after each page of a picture book I read to them, every hand went up. Without prompting, most of them thought to grab their little Bibles before going to chapel. Throughout the week, they listened, learned, and wanted me to know that they had learned. Do we have that same attitude toward Bible study? Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? (Matthew 5:6) Or, in the realm of religion, are we content that we already know all that we need to know? I need a 1^st grader’s eagerness to never stop learning, especially about God.

1^st Graders are quick to rejoice and quick to forgive. We had a lot of fun last week. I’m finding I often relate more to children than adults—I don’t know what that says about me! I taught these children a class chant. Whenever I said, “Booga, booga, booga!” they said, “Ah, ah, ahhhh!” (I learned that at Air Force basic training.) I let them rename me for a day, and they chose “Mr. Chicken Head”—which caused more than a little confusion when one parent asked her child who taught them that day. At recess, I sat in the grass with a dozen girls and told them fanciful stories that I made up on the fly. They giggled when I informed them that Elf on the Shelf, during the off-season, lives in the pipes under the bathroom. I told them about Santa getting stuck in the chimney on Christmas Eve at “Molly’s” house, but Molly couldn’t hear him because she was snoring. Molly raised her hand and informed me that it couldn’t have been her because she had surgery to remove her adenoids. I stand corrected. We took a hike around the campus, turned over rocks, and chased butterflies. With each discovery and each story, the children laughed. They were full of joy. And when a classmate said or did something unkind to them, they were quick to forgive and move on as if nothing had happened. Do we rejoice in the Lord always? (Philippians 4:4) Do we still marvel at the amazing things in God’s creation? (Psalm 19:1) Do we forgive one another, as the Lord has forgiven us? (Colossians 3:13) I’ve got some work to do. 

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I get it now.