How Can I Have Child-Like Faith?
What were some of the most beautiful aspects of your early childhood? Was it the untainted fun of exploring your vivid imagination? Was it the simplicity of life that came with having your basic needs met by your parents/caretaker? Was it the innocence you had before you knew too much about the world?
Those things often feel so distant from the current reality we experience as adults. As we grow older, our lives can feel more dull, more complicated, more stressful, year after year. This is why nostalgia is just as bitter as it is sweet - there’s something painful about recalling something wonderful in the past that doesn’t seem to be present or attainable now.
My relationship with Christ began when I was a child - like many people who grow up in a Christian environment, I don’t remember the specific moment when God saved me. By God’s grace, He brought me into the kingdom through a slow trickle of gospel influence in my life.
Like many believers who grew up around Christianity, it is easy for me to question if the Lord truly saved me when I was so young. But I know I had a relationship with Him when I was little because I have a distinct memory of faith. Around age 7, after a day of playing outside by myself during summer break, I sat down on my porch and watched the sun set. I felt full of peace and remembered that my Sunday school teacher told me that God was always with me and I could talk to Him whenever I wanted. I knew I wanted to say something to God, but I didn’t know what to say or how to say it. Somehow the song “Jesus Loves Me” popped into my head, and I began to sing it out loud. I believed every word I sang, and I knew God was listening.
On one hand that memory seems silly. I didn’t know a lot of truth, and I didn’t understand God’s holiness or wrath like I do now. And at the same time, I look back on that memory and crave the sureness of faith and the simplicity of my worship - it seems almost impossible to attain as an adult.
Does the Bible speak of a child’s faith? The answer is yes. Although scripture tells us to move away from childish folly and into spiritual maturity (1 Corinthians 13:11, Hebrews 5:12-14, 1 Corinthians 14:20, etc.), it also tells of the beauty of a childlike faith.
Think of the things that make the life of a child wonderful: innocence, simplicity, creativity, joy, and complete dependence/trust in a competent guardian. If God is our Father (who created children to embody those beautiful qualities), shouldn’t those traits be evident in our lives as children of God, regardless of our age? As we grow older in our faith, we can often find ourselves bogged down with complex moral and theological questions, the ever-growing list of our short-comings, and skepticism. And as soon as we begin to feel more mature in our faith, we start looking down on those who exhibit childlike faith, viewing them as naïve, irreverent, or ignorant of heavy realities. However, I think that it is possible to acknowledge serious, complex truths while still embracing an innocent and happy outlook on life. Not only is it possible but it is a sign of true spiritual maturity.
What makes for a healthy, childlike spiritual life? 1 John 3 highlights the reality that we are God’s children, and, like a child carries its parents’ DNA, we are made in God’s image, designed to live in righteousness, not evil. We should be pure of heart (Matt. 5:8), marked by innocence, like a child who is not as tainted by the corruption of the world. As children are full of joy and wonder, so we should be (John 15:11, Psalm 33:8). Jesus, as God incarnate, modeled childlike submission to His earthly parents (Luke 1:51) and to His Heavenly Father (Philippians 2:8). Therefore, we should obey the Lord with a reverent heart. And as a child fully relies on a caregiver for nourishment, shelter, protection, etc., so we should rely on the God who provides for us (Philippians 4:19). Think about it, a 2 year old doesn’t even think, “maybe I could make dinner all by myself.” Their first inclination is to ask and rely on their parents to provide when they’re hungry. How ridiculous do we look when we try to provide for our own needs without first bringing them to the Lord in prayer? We can’t even reach the microwave!
How does God respond to those who have faith like a child? Let's look to Mark 10:13-16:
“And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”
He draws children near. He embraces them. He blesses them. He delights in them. And He uses them as an example - someone who truly belongs to the kingdom of God will resemble a child. He also rebukes those who turn the children away, those who scoff. If you find yourself looking down on those you deem naïve, too happy, or not independent enough, receive the same rebuke. God has promised them the kingdom of God, so rejoice with them!
When we live a life that reflects the profound truth that we are God’s children, we can experience the beauty of our adoption. In a childlike disposition, we see the riches of life and eternity. When we are born again, we become sons, and when we become sons, we become heirs to an imperishable inheritance (Galatians 4:6-7, 1 Peter 1:4). This truth is glorious, and those who live lives that reflect this truth bring glory to the Father, the ultimate caregiver and provider. And it’s in His power that we can grow to become more childlike in all the right ways.
Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong.
PS - In my opinion, something that encapsulates the grandeur of the simple truth in “Jesus Loves Me” is the song “Oxygen” by King’s Kaleidoscope. I highly recommend listening to it on full volume.