Child-like Faith
Hebrews 11:6 reveals to us that it is impossible to please God without faith. Hebrews 11:1 gives us the definition of faith (NKJV), “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.“
When we think of our faith, which is in our totally trustworthy God, we know that we want our faith to be ever increasing yet strong and mature.
Let’s look at Hebrews 5:12-6:3, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.“
We are encouraged in these verses to advance past the milk of the word and to take on solid food. It means going beyond infancy, basics, and the elementary and growing toward maturity and perfection. Ephesians 4:13-15 (NASB), “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ…”
It’s important to understand how we get to that place of growth and maturity. We need to put ourselves in a position to grow by reading and studying the word of God. However, and this is imperative, we must open ourselves to the reality and presence of the Holy Spirit, for He is the one who teaches and gives understanding, wisdom, and revelation.
The scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit is conforming us to the image of Christ in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV), “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” We read Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17 (NLT), “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to [us] a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.”
Before we speak of having child-like faith, let’s look at the vast difference between being childish and being child-like. According to a March 4, 2016 article in Psychology Today, the childish are “developmentally delayed in the management of heir emotions.“ Signs of childishness include “emotional escalations, blaming, lies, and name calling”. Childishness also includes having “poor impulse control, a need to be the center of attention, or bullying.” Childishness in not limited to children, there are childish adults. We can see that in displays of petulance, immaturity, obnoxiousness, selfishness, and so on. These are the things we need to leave behind.
Being ‘child-like’ is to be trusting, honest, innocent, joyful, curious, full of wonder, forgiving, and those things which reflect a child’s character. It is this child-likeness that Jesus taught us to have when practicing our faith, especially when we come to Him with a need or when learning to totally trust Him.
In Matthew 11:25 (NASB) we see, “At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” The Greek word translated “infant” also means child or child-like. Jesus thanks His Father for revealing truth to infants, children, or those who are child-like. As we know, an infant is totally dependant on his or her parents for absolutely every need. In the same way, we should be totally dependant on our heavenly Father.
Mark 10:13-16 (NLT), “And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.” Children, especially very young ones, have openness in what they believe. Many adults question everything. When it comes to believing God’s word, we need to be as small children.
Psalm 131:1-2 speaks of child-like trust in God (Amplified Bible), “Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty, nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child [resting] with his mother; my soul is like a weaned child within me [composed and freed from discontent]”
Sadly, many adults have grown to be prideful when dealing with problems. We go through a growing and maturing process in the natural, which has led us to independence and self-sufficiency. We say, “I can do this myself.” “It is up to me to use the knowledge I have gained to solve my own problems.“ “I can fix it.” “I can do it myself.” “I can do it all.”
This becomes a dilemma when the attitude of self-sufficiency overrides our dependence on God. A child, on the other hand, is completely dependent on their parents. As a Christian adult, our sufficiency must always include Phillipians 4:13 (NKJV), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We also encounter situations that go beyond our knowledge or control and we have to simply trust the One who knows all and can do all things.
Jesus said in John 15:5 (NLT), “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” We can do nothing apart, separate from, or without Him.
We are told in James 1:5 (NLT) if we lack wisdom to ask for it. A 3-year-old will ask you everything. Most teens will ask you nothing, thinking they already know it all!
Humbling ourselves like a child opens the way for God to respond to our need. 1 Peter 5:5-7 (NLT), “In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” James 4:6,10 (NLT), “But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.” Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” The Greek word for “humble” in verse 10 means “bring down one’s pride and to behave in an unassuming manner devoid of all haughtiness”. Luke 14:11 (NLT), “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
I have seen children full of faith and trust have their prayers answered. Our son at age three wanted to go to Disney World. During our conversation about it, he was told we didn’t have the money to go. We also told him that he would have to pray for the Lord to provide. He prayed immediately. Within a few days, we received a call informing us that we were getting an unexpected tax refund. When he heard my side of the phone conversation, he stood up on a chair, did some fist pumps in the air and said, “Thank you, Jesus. Now we can go to Disney!” He had prayed and expected God to answer! Here’s the end of the story: my wife and I needed money to buy bunk beds to replace the cribs they were sleeping in. To prevent hindering his faith, we talked with the boys and left the decision to them. We said, “If you choose to go to Disney, we will go. If you would like beds, we will get the beds.” They chose the beds. God was gracious and supplied the finances to take them to Disney two years later!
God is our heavenly Father and we are His children. His heart’s desire is that we would release child-like faith as we pray and live our lives in the trusting, honest, innocent, joyful, curious, and forgiving character of His children.