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Faith Like a Child

January 13, 2016
Have you ever been around a child?

They’re excited with life. They are thrilled with little things. There’s not a dull moment with them…they live life with enthusiasm. It’s like a constant party.

Do you hear how they think? I grow weary of the silliness that can come from my son…I try not to listen. I get discouraged. When is he going to grow up? When will he think about consequences? But then I really listen to his comments.
“Mom, my fish doesn’t like soggy, wet food.”
“What makes you think that?”
“He won’t eat it if it falls apart in his water.”
“How do you think you should feed it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it, and let me know what you come up with it.”

"Mom, I want to walk in the moonlight so I can find all the shiny rocks.”
“How will you find them without the sun shining on them?”
“In the moon, they will glow in the dark; the sun hinders me from seeing them.”

“Mom...”

His connections aren’t quite right and common sense doesn’t reach him…but then God reminds me, “God has hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and has revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.” (Matthew 11:25)

God shares His delights with children. They hear His Words. They are delighted.

Why?

They treat life like a gift, like a package that is opened moment by moment. They don’t doubt, they trust. They have the wonderment of wanting to know. Look at this…why does this happen? What makes this go? They believe without proof. They trust simply.

Have you lost that child-like faith?

I have lived long enough to know the fairy world doesn’t happen, that people aren’t to be trusted, that miracles happened in the Bible, but maybe not now…Losing that child-like innocence, that child-like wonder, that child-like view makes believing harder, trusting more a chore, life more routine. Common sense hinders me from trying something different that could work better. Knowing what could happen makes me hesitate to even try.

Matthew gives hope, he said, ‘become like children.’ We can go back. “Truly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:5-6).

Many times in my life, I’ve made decisions that went against common sense. I didn’t have the money, but God was prompting me to go to grad school anyway…I obeyed. God provided. I learned to trust like a child, to believe He would provide. I delighted Him. A step toward becoming like a child…

Children don’t think about what could happen…they think about what they can do. They have the freedom to fail. They aren’t hindered. They can fly.

What is the Spirit prompting you to do, but your common sense is telling you that it won’t work? Become like a child. Put away your fears, doubts, even your common sense that’s keeping you on the platform. Become like a child. Spread your wings.

Fly.

And delight God.



Displaying 1 comment

I have time alone this morning so am catching up on your writings. Each one speaks to me, where I am now or where I have been. Thanks so much, Sonya, for sharing. We all need this reminder of faith like a child, we have become "too" adult. Also liked your one of punishment, I've also noticed that the Old Testament had no jails and think it's a better way.

Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.

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