“Unless you receive the Kingdom of God like a child, you’ll never enter it.” ~ Luke 18:17
Having helped lead her church’s
Youth Group, Morgan had heard this story of Jesus used many times to inspire
Christians into living a life grounded in ‘childlike faith’. She always thought it was a sweet story, but
never really grasped the concept … until a child of her own entered their lives.
Now as she watched Emma cuddle their Maltese-mix, Morgan suddenly realized that faith is actually very simple; adults are the ones who make it
complicated. Not God!
Her 1-year old is into everything. She explores her world with youthful
enthusiasm, pulling toys off the shelf and crawling down the hall; giggling in
a way that could make fires burn warmer.
She’s so curious about how things work, pushing all the buttons on electronic toys. New things don’t frighten her.
Even though she wasn’t walking yet, that doesn’t stop her
from getting where she wants to go. If
she falls, she gets right back up and tries again. Put things up high and Emma
will try to find a way to reach the object of her fascination.
Her eyes shine like pebbles washed by ocean waves; her smile
radiates joy in all with whom she interacts.
She doesn't care what the time it is unless she's hungry. Then in her highchair, she bounces as if
dancing to music for her ears only.
Everything tickles her as funny. Observing that happy child, the Bible verse
made perfect sense.
Preoccupied with life’s enormity, we adults create arbitrary
boundaries that limit our success and avoid investing ourselves fully in our
faith. Kids ask a bazillion questions: about
the weather, about puppies, and where the sun goes at night. Such youthful zeal is the key to a true connection
to Jesus.
“So,” Morgan wondered, “if God
wants us to have faith like Emma, it must be OK to ask questions. It’s OK to doubt Him sometimes; our prayers
should reflect the questions on our hearts. Just like a child, we can ask God when His
kingdom will come on earth, when the cancer will heal, or when will she ever
stop feeling so lonely. We should use
our imagination to wonder about God.
Which brought to mind another thought. Kids aren’t afraid to love what they love, and
they do so with such gusto and veracity. If we treated each other with even half as
much love as infants do, then the world would be a significantly better place.
They model the childlike faith that Jesus invites us into,
and inspires with an unwavering trust in the world’s goodness. Childlike faith is as simple as stretching
out our gooey, clumsy, human fingers and grabbing the outstretched hand of
Jesus. Its always there.
Dear Lord. Help us to let down our guard and let You more
fully into our lives. Help us to
overcome the obstacles we place in our own path and seek You with our whole
heart. Amen.
