Dear friends,
Our faith can often be clouded by the complexities and demands of life. Yet, when Jesus spoke of faith, He pointed to the heart of a little child as our model: "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein" (Mark 10:15). Jesus elevates child-like faith not for its ignorance, but for its purity, its readiness to believe, and its eagerness to trust without hesitation.
Little children are full of delight. They approach the world with wide eyes and open hearts, seeing wonders everywhere they look. They trust in the goodness of their caregivers, in the good intentions of others, and in the simple joys that each day brings. In their day, they find no burden of negativity from past experiences, only a belief that good things are true and that love and joy are everywhere in the world. As Christians, Jesus calls us to return to this perspective. This does not mean we need to be ignorant of life’s difficulties but rather to see beyond them. Just as little children can be amazed by the smallest parts of life, we, too, should marvel at God’s mercies and His faithfulness, which are renewed every morning.
A little child’s life also contains a remarkable lack of pride or arrogance. Little children don’t feel the need to be the wisest person in the room; they ask questions and are quick to acknowledge what they don’t know or fully understand. There is no arrogance, self-righteousness, or judgmental spirit towards others. Little children don’t look down on others based on how they look or what they have achieved in life; they simply want to know about others, experience new things, and enjoy life with those around them. When we approach God with the humility of a child, we let go of our need to prove ourselves, allowing instead the love of God to prove itself in us. "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6).
A little child’s faith is full of questions and curiosity. They want to understand how things work and why things are the way they are. They don’t ask questions to challenge the state of the world but simply to learn about the world around them. Their inquiries come from a genuine desire to understand. We, too, should approach God with a heart that is open to learning, unafraid to ask, wonder, and seek. Jesus tells us, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7). When we stop asking questions, we stop growing. God delights in our curiosity because it is the doorway to deeper faith and relationship with Him.
In practice, child-like faith exists in our daily lives as a choice to trust God with an open heart, to seek His presence with joy, and to approach life’s challenges with humility. It means allowing ourselves to be delighted by the world around us and to see God’s hand in the small things. It looks like restraining our critiques towards God and others, knowing we don’t have all the answers ourselves, and maintaining a heart that desires to learn and grow.
So let’s be like little children, delighting in God, seeking Him with a humble heart, and asking our questions without fear. By embracing faith like a little child, we allow God to reveal Himself in the most unexpected ways, reminding us that His love is immense and His kingdom is open to all who come to Christ with an open heart.
