Childlike Faith

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “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. Matthew 18:1-4

The disciples are lining up trying to get Jesus to give them the secret to being the greatest. I’m sure they all were ready and willing to jump at his answer and do whatever it took to obtain this greatness. Then, Jesus flips the script on them. “You wanna be great? Act like a child.” Surely the disciples were caught off guard by this simple and honest answer.

APPLICATION:

A child like faith to me means:

1. Not letting the prejudices and actions of the world influence my thoughts and actions. Thinking like a child doesn’t mean I babble nonsense, it means that my thought life is pure and unaffected by all the junk that accumulates as one gets older. If I’ve been wronged, get over it quick cause the next one is probably right around the corner. These moments are chances to offer grace and be like Jesus, not moments to lash out and take vengeance.
2. Keep it simple. I tend to complicate everything, squeezing every bit of motivation out of situations that don’t go my way to right a wrong. Everyone’s not out to get me, it’s not me against the world. Being simple means that I don’t let all the negative complicate my reaction process, instead I keep and commit to a simple and pure devotion to Jesus Christ.
3. Stay in awe. Kids get excited about the simplest things. A trip to Target, M&M’s on their yogurt, and extra chicken mcnugget in their Happy Meal. God has done so many great things. I need to continue to be in awe and amazement of it. A child like faith means I see the world as exciting, adventurous and worth pursuing.