Paul is the Romeo of his high school class. There are taller and better looking guys than Paul, but he's been very successful with the ladies.
He has a couple of advantages. Paul's able to talk and communicate with people and the girls like that. Paul also really knows how to handle babies and little kids. He hugs them, plays with them, and talks with them. He said, "The girls love it when you're nice to children." They're not the only ones.
In Mark 9 of the Bible, the disciples have just been arguing over who is going to be the greatest. They want to know who will be the Assistant Messiah and who is going to have the top position. Jesus answers in an interesting way by saying, "'If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.' He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.'" Apparently it isn't just girls who want to see how little children are treated. This is a test of greatness in Jesus' eyes.
If you want to be great, be a servant. If you want to be a servant, show how you treat children. This is so important because to be a leader for Jesus, we don't promote ourselves, we promote other people. We make ourselves available for their needs. Nowhere does this show up more than in how we respond to a child.
Children have no money. They have no influence. They have no votes. The issue is how you treat people who can't do anything for you. For many adults, a child is a bother and a not someone that matters. A child is often in the way of our adult business, but they are supposed to be our most important adult business.
That day when the disciples knew that Jesus was having a summit conference with the leaders from Jerusalem, they said, "Oh, kids, please, don't bother Jesus. He's with the important people." Jesus said, "Wait a minute. They are the important people. Let them come to me."
If you are going to be like Jesus, you have to learn to make children feel important. A child ought to be regarded as a VIP instead of a nuisance or a non-entity. Take time to learn children's names and to find out about their world. That world is as important to them as yours is to you. Ask them questions. Admire their primitive writing, art, or sculpture, and come down to their level. Take time to enter the world where they live. Children are brushed off so often by adults; you will be remembered if you take time for them.
Jesus said if we practice servanthood on children, then we extend this Christlike humility to people in need - people who annoy us, interrupt us, and who can't do anything for us. If we can't pass the child test, we will never be servants. If we can't pass the servant test, we will never make a difference for our Lord. Stop for the children. Listen to the children. Respect the children. Jesus said He takes very personally the way you treat these little people who He thinks are big.