In Matthew 18:1 the disciples asked a very worldly question to Jesus, about God’s heavenly kingdom. At first glance you might just assume that the disciples are seeking to understand more about the kingdom that they and every believer after them would be excited to enter into. Even if that were so, the question still comes from a prideful place of being better than someone else and ignoring how great and gracious God is for letting anyone be a part of His kingdom.

They were so worried and curious about each of their own individual success, that God’s greatness wasn’t even acknowledge. I would be willing to bet that the response that Jesus gave them shook them to the core, and caused them reevaluate their desires and motivations.

In Matthew 18:2-4 He gives them the perspective of the child being the only way, one gets into the kingdom of heaven.

To put that in more direct terms we should be more concerned about our obedience than our success. One major thing that makes a child good, is how obedient they are not how talented they are. Even a successful individual is obedient to a path that reflects or leads to the possibility of success. Our faith in God is the start line of obedience, the actions and steps we take because of that faith lead us to praise God’s greatness as our heavenly Father.