When we become like children, as Jesus exhorts his disciples in Matthew 18:3, we become less concerned with the worries of this world. Stress fades away, and we regain a sense of awe of God.
A child is completely dependent on her parents. She is humble and carefree, trusting that her parents will provide, protect and take care of her.
That is why childlike faith is invaluable for Christians.
What is childlike faith, though?
It means becoming mature enough to receive God’s love, Mike Severe, professor of Christian ministries at Taylor, said. It almost sounds contradictory.
However, spiritual maturity and childlike faith go hand-in-hand. Jesus doesn’t just call his disciples to have faith like a child. He also exhorts them to be wise like serpents, Severe said.
Jesus’ character models the relationship between these attributes: in John 1, Jesus is described as full of both grace and truth, Severe said.
“It’s not that on some days he was fully graceful and on other days he was fully truthful, like it was a choice,” Severe said. “It was both to the max.”
In the same way, we don’t need to choose between childlike faith and spiritual maturity. We can embrace both.
If believers are called to do both without allowing either to become distorted, the task begins to feel overwhelming. How should Christians keep track of it all?
Think of it like a child would. Don’t overcomplicate it; take it as it is. That’s how Joy Elzinga, assistant professor of education at Taylor, defined childlike faith.
“Childlike faith is truly taking things for exactly what they are,” Elzinga said. “So that’s believing scripture for exactly what it says it is and being able to believe completely.”
Childlike faith means taking God’s character at face value. It doesn’t need to be complex; all we must remember is that he loves us.
When we were kids, faith was simple: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so,” as the children’s hymn goes.
“God is who he says he is, and he loves us the way he says he does, and he sees me how he says he does,” Elzinga said. “And that’s really enough.”
As we mature, we can overcomplicate this process. Children often approach life with trust and peace, but that sense of security subsides as we encounter evil, sin and the allures of the world, Elzinga said.
Life is heavy. But the beauty of Jesus’ love is that he carries the heaviness for us.
Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you…For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
It is not our job to carry every burden we take on throughout life. As we grow up, we often believe that lie. Conversely, this idea rarely crosses a child’s mind.
Children don’t overthink their helplessness or need for parental guidance. But as we mature, that concern begins to surface — not only with parents, but also with our heavenly Father, May Young, department chair and associate professor of biblical studies, said.
“As we get older, we become more self-sufficient, and we don’t realize that we are still very dependent beings on the Lord and need to trust that he will care for us,” Young said.
Growing lust for independence often blinds us from God’s providence. Independence from God causes us to forget who knows what is best (and it is not us).
When God says no to our requests, it is not out of hatred, Young said. It’s because he loves us and knows our true needs. Our role, then, is simply to trust God.
Severe used the example of a child getting lost in a grocery store. The child may feel scared, but he trusts his dad did not abandon him and will return to him, because that’s what he does.
“And that’s the level of faith I want to cultivate in my own life,” Severe said. “I know God is in this in ways that I may not be able to see, and I’m fully going to act as if he is there and protecting me.”
Childlike faith fosters full dependence on our Father. There is no life apart from him, so we must trust in him. God has never and will never abandon you. He will return, because that’s what he promised.
So trust in him, and cling to your inner child.
