BE A CHILD: WHAT IS CHILDLIKE FAITH?

In a world that measures worth by success, we often chase achievement to prove our value to the world. Sometimes, without realizing it, we can even start approaching God the same way. When the disciples asked Jesus who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is, they were bewildered when Jesus pointed to a child. You see, God doesn’t ask for our accomplishments but for humble, trusting hearts that long for His presence and love. What does childlike faith look like? It’s the simple joy of trusting our Heavenly Father completely.    

WHAT IS A CHILD?  

In Matthew 18:5-6, Jesus teaches that the only way to enter the kingdom of God is to humble ourselves and receive Him like a child. Think back to when trusting your parents came naturally, when their presence meant comfort and safety. That’s the picture that Jesus paints. A child is not defined by immaturity or lack of knowledge, but by humility and dependence! To have childlike faith is to trust God’s Word wholeheartedly, to depend on His guidance without question, and to delight in His love as our Father.  

WHY BE A CHILD?

When the world leaves us weary and discouraged, God invites us to rest in His love! Our identity as God’s children reminds us that we are heirs to His promises and secure in His care! As we grow in intimacy with God, He delights when we trust His control over our lives. Only when we come to Him as children can we truly experience the peace, security, and provision God offers. A child of God inherits the Father’s promises, enjoys His blessings, and lives securely in the center of God’s perfect will.

HOW TO BE A CHILD?

Jesus reminds us through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector that pride blinds us to childlike faith. Many desire to come to God on their own terms, but true faith begins with humility. As adults, we often cling to self-reliance, believing we know enough, pray enough, or do enough. But Jesus calls us to lay that down and come to Him with a child’s heart: honest, trusting, and fully surrendered.

To be God’s child is to admit we don’t have all the answers, and to trust Him not just as a Savior but as Father (John 1:12). It’s choosing to align our will with God’s, and to humbly receive the gift of salvation lovingly prepared by a Father for His children.