Childlike Faith, Grown Up Love

Spirituality Column #216
December 28, 2010
Current in Carmel - Current in Westfield - Current in Noblesville
(Indianapolis north suburban home newspapers)

Childlike Faith, Grown Up Love
By Bob Walters

It’s easy to think the Bible has it backwards telling us to become like a child (Matthew 18:3-4) when we are working so hard at being grownups.

But maybe we get the “grownup” thing wrong. If I have one prayer going into the New Year it’s that I never “mature in my faith.” The wonder of Christ is so much fun, so exciting, so big, so interesting, so deep, so comforting, so assuring, so challenging and so complete that the last thing I want to do is have my faith get old.

Consider that “being a grownup” in the societal context is generally about earthly works – responsibilities, problem solving, more responsibilities. Ever notice that? Satan sure does. He’d much rather have a responsible adult worried sick about earthly travail than have a responsible adult with a childlike faith in God. The latter doesn’t give Satan much to work with.

Having the ability to lay anything at the feet of Christ is the kind of grownup I want to be. I’m fine with responsibilities; it’s a joy when we can trust each other. Most of us have been on both sides of that one, though. We’ve sometimes trusted the wrong people, and maybe on occasion we have been entrusted with the wrong things.

The point here is that childlike faith knows God can be trusted all the time, every time. It knows God is the good, the right, the eternal; that God can do anything but actually does everything according to His own plan. God gives us the freedom – love’s foundation – to make up our own minds about our faith.

Childlike faith? I think that means, “no doubts.” It definitely doesn’t mean “unquestioning.” Have you ever known a child that didn’t have a million questions? God loves that! “Ask and ye shall receive” (John 16:24) isn’t about Christmas presents. It’s about God’s grace and mercy. Ask for that, and believe.

I know plenty of people who define the completeness of their adulthood by “knowing what they want and getting it.” Satan’s plan is to get us to focus on the things we want so that we either second-guess or completely ignore the things God wants.

Certainly that sounds childlike (childish?), but have you ever known a parent who wasn’t second-guessed or ignored despite their child’s neediness?

Christ on the Cross proves our Father loves us anyway … even the grownups.

Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) hopes you’ll enjoy childlike faith in the New Year. When you can feel God smile, you’ve succeeded.