Trusting Like a Child
“Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4
What does it mean to have childlike faith? Why does Jesus say to come to him like a little child? Children are often needy, demanding, weak, and dependent, but they are also full of wonder, living with simple yet sincere trust.
Have you ever watched a preschooler run and play, discovering something they’ve never noticed before? They give their whole selves to the object in front of them. An acorn is fascinating. . . . watching a garbage truck pick up trash turns into thirty minutes of action packed entertainment. . . . piles of sticks and pine straw become fairy castles.
If you’re lucky, you still feel captivated by the little things in life. Hopefully you have an imagination that’s mesmerized by acorns and garbage trucks.
One of the best things about Greystone is that while there we have a chance to recover that childlike wonder. We run and play, pretend and laugh, and learn again what it is to trust God with childlike faith. We go to that “home” once a year so that we can remember who we really are when we return to our families and friends in our true home.
Unfortunately, as we grow up, we often lose our wonder for the little details of the world around us. We experience sadness or brokenness and begin to lose trust and faith in those closest to us. We begin to act like a grown up–worried about what’s next and in a hurry to finish the tasks on our plates.
No matter our age, Jesus longs for us to come to him like children–full of delight and wonder at who he is AND helplessly dependent on him to provide for our needs. Children haven’t learned to hide their thoughts and feelings. They haven’t learned to filter what’s on their minds.
When we come to God like a child, we come knowing that what he gives us is a gift, not something we’ve earned or deserved. When we live with childlike faith, we can take all of our hopes and dreams, failures and fears to him. We can tell him all that’s on our hearts without fearing his reaction.
He loves us no matter what, and we can run with confidence and freedom, completely secure in his love. Although the world gives us messages to grow up, become independent, hide our feelings, our Lord Jesus loves to have his needy, dependent children run to him with all our cares and concerns, joys and delights.
For Further Reading: Matthew 19:13-15