"Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." -- Jesus Christ (Mark 10:15)
God is looking for wide-eyed excitement in people. A zest for life. Creativity. Laughter and innocence. That's what it means to be child-like.
I do not believe Jesus is referring to the after-life when he references "the kingdom." He explains elsewhere that "The kingdom of God is within you." Also many time he uses the expression "is at hand" meaning it's here and now. Therefore, we do not enter the kingdom after we die, we enter it now if we become child-like. The kingdom of God is place of spiritual awareness where we allow God to govern our lives. Since God is love, the kingdom of God is living a life surrendered to love and compassion.
The kingdom has nothing to do with religion, although religion can help you find it. It has nothing to do with good works, even though charity can help you find it. The kingdom is a state of being. Many religious people never enter the kingdom of God because they refuse to humble themselves under the mighty hand of love.
Many religious people are childish. A childish person says, "This is mine you can't have it." Spiritually childish people reject the poor, the needy, and the outcasts refusing to show compassion to them. Childish people say, "You're different from me, so you're bad." This prevents them for enjoying the kingdom of God, so they create more and more rules and regulations to feel a sense of accomplishment. All the while Jesus is saying, "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. My burden is easy and my yoke is light." Childish people feel superior because they choose accomplishment over peace and acceptance.
Only the child-like can enter the kingdom of God. Child-like people say, "You're different from me, I want to learn more about you." Child-like people know the more the merrier so they invite others to share in what they have and what they're doing.
Child-like people see the obvious and do it with joy. "If I have more than you, and you are in need, I should give you some of what I have." Rather than blaming the government, relying on well-fare, or spouting rhetoric like, "We need to take care of our own first."
Child-like means getting excited when change comes. Finding the best in every situation and everyone.
Only those who allow themselves so access the love and joy and excitement that is lying dormant inside them, will be able to enter kingdom of God in the here and now.
