I think about my kids a lot. Nearly all the time. Even when they’re not physically with me, they’re with me in my mind. I’ve been pondering their personalities, tendencies and characteristics through the lens of faith lately, and I feel like God has revealed a little more about what it means to have childlike faith.
What qualities do children possess that Christ wants us to emulate?
“Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
Kids trust their parents without question and rely on us for survival. August and Eden know we want what is best for them, and they trust us to care for them, meet their needs and to tell them the truth. Every meal they consume is prepared by one of us. We teach them everything from basic hygiene to good manners. We do even more for them than they can understand. Do I trust that God does the same for me (but even better because He’s perfect)? Do I trust His word to be true? Am I completely dependent on God like my kids are dependent on me? Do I trust God to feed me, clothe me, and do even more for me than I realize? (Matthew 6:26)
Young kids have no concern for tomorrow. They are completely content with the now. They don’t ask to know things that are subject to change (the future), and they don’t fester in things that are impossible to change (yesterday). They are happy and satisfied with knowing and experiencing what Mom and Dad have planned as it unfolds. We could learn something from that. Am I content with God’s timing of disclosure? Do I give today the focus it deserves? Do I anguish in the unknown, or do I trust my Father to have my plans made according to what is good for me (because He loves me), and according to His perfect plan of growing His kingdom? (Matthew 6:34, Jeremiah 29:11)
Kids are vulnerable. They cry loudly with tears streaming down their faces and snot running out of their nose. When August or Eden get hurt, they find their way to us immediately, seeking to be held tightly. When they’ve had a long day, they melt down in our presence. We are their safe place where they can be unashamedly themselves. They might keep it together in the care of someone else, but when they come home they know they can collapse into the loving arms of Mom and Dad. Do I let God see me that way? Do I come to him unfiltered and let him see me in my purest form? Do I tip my face up to the Light and let Him wipe away my tears and restore the truth about who He created me to be? (1 Peter 5:7)
Kids run to their parents for comfort. When August wakes up in the middle of the night, the only thing he wants is Mom or Dad. He is drawn like a magnet to our bedroom, where his human safety nets are ready to receive him. Are we instinctively drawn to God our Father when things get scary? Do we seek Him for comfort? (Psalm 23)
Kids are goofy and joy-filled. They have no shame in their joy! They are the loudest laughers and they want you to know why they are so happy. August will repeat the same joke to you over and over again until you see where his joy is coming from. You didn’t think it was amusing the first time? He’ll tell it to you again in a slightly different way because he wants to see that smile crack across your face. Am I as persistent at sharing my joy with others? Have I lauded the name of Jesus? (Philippians 4:4)
Kids are endlessly curious. They want to know everything about the world around them. They touch everything, they put things in their mouths, they listen to every word, they ask questions. If Eden doesn’t completely understand a story, she will ask you to repeat the entire story from beginning to end until she grasps it. As a parent, we want our children to learn and have their questions answered. We especially want them to get their questions answered from a reliable, trustworthy source (usually us!). My heavenly Father wants the same for me. He wants to reveal himself to me. Am I getting curious about the things of God? Am I seeking the Divine Creator and His spirit in a childlike way? Am I hungering to know Jesus better? Do I ask Him questions to learn more about the world around me, or do I rely on what the world tells me is true? (Matthew 6:33)
Kids see the world with wide-eyed wonder. They are fascinated the first time they feel the tickle of a caterpillar in their hand, or look up into the sky and truly observe the stars. When our chickens hatched eggs, Eden was captivated. She wanted to be present, observing every detail. When our baby goats were born, she was enamored by the adorableness of baby goats, and fascinated by seeing their mamas’ instincts in action. Do I acknowledge the Creator’s design and perfect goodness with the awe of a child? (Job 39) Do I pay attention to the evidence of Him all around me? (Psalm 8: 3-4)
Kids are sponges. They remember things. They mimic what they see and what they hear. I have heard my kids regurgitate words, sentences, stories or facts that I’ve spoken. It catches me off guard plenty of times, like I’m surprised that they are always paying attention! What am I mimicking and paying attention to? Am I letting God’s Word transform my mind? Am I a sponge for things of Heaven? (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23-24, Ephesians 5:1-2)
Kids are willing to ask for help. If they can’t tie their shoes, they’ll ask a grown up. If August can’t reach something he wants or needs, he’ll usually ask for help. Sometimes if he doesn’t, he finds himself in a precarious situation trying to reach something dangerously high without a firm foundation to stand on. Do I go to God for help with the little things like children do? When I am trying to reach a goal, do I give it to the Father or try and do it myself? Is my foundation to reach big goals standing on God or standing on my own ability? (Proverbs 16:3,9; Matthew 7:24)
Kids are proud of their parents, especially when they’re young. When Eden was in preschool and I went to pick her up, she would run to me from the end of the hall with arms wide open the entire time. When I went to read a book to her class, Eden wanted to be right next to me and she wanted to introduce me to all her friends. “This is my Mom!” Do we do the same thing with God? Am I proud to have Him as my Father, His Son as my Savior? Do I share Him with others? (Matthew 28:19-20)
Kids are always HUNGRY! Thirty minutes after eating a meal, I’m being asked when snack time is. Throughout the day, the phrase, “I’m hungry,” rings in my ears. Do we stay hungry for God’s word? Do we stay hungry for His presence? (John 6:35)
Kids are penniless. They have no money to call their own and any they do have is typically given to them by a parent. Jesus himself says that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). When our kids want to spend their money on something frivolous, Danny and I usually counsel them to save it because that piece of candy won’t last. On the flip side, our kids are the first ones to want to give away their own possessions as "just because" gifts for their cousins or friends. They regularly look for opportunities to give because it fills their cup. Are we storing up treasures here on Earth? (Matthew 6:19) Are we as humble and penniless, letting God meet our every need, as our kids are? Do we trust His financial direction? Are we willing to give, just because? (Proverbs 11:24-28)
Kids are taught to be obedient. We tell August and Eden that frequently, their obedience to what we teach them ensures their safety. Look both ways before you cross the street. Don’t touch the burner when it’s on. Keep an eye out for snakes in the woods and if you see one, back away from it. How often do we consider the importance of obedience for us as adults? Do we actually tune in to what God tells us to do? Do I respond to the Holy Spirit’s direction obediently? (1 Peter 1:14)
Kids desire relationships. When Eden gets home from school, she is spilling ALL of the tea about what happened that day. I hear about everything she did and didn’t do, what others did and didn’t do, what she ate, where she went, what made her laugh and what made her frustrated. Our prayer life should be the same. Are we inviting God into conversations about our day, throughout the day? Are we sharing with Him all the details, however mundane? Are we going to Him in celebration and going to Him in frustration? Are we confiding and having a personal relationship with Him? (Ephesians 6:18)
Kids feel things deeply. If I leave the news on while I’m cooking dinner and Eden overhears a story about a tragedy, she stops what she’s doing and lets herself feel sad. If I stub my toe and let out a shout of pain, August stops what he’s doing and gives me a hug asking, “Are you okay, Mama?” Kids are not apathetic to other people’s pain. They recognize it, and depending on their age, they empathize. Do we let our hearts get broken by the things that break God’s heart? Have we callused our hearts in the name of self preservation, when God has called us to feel and take action? (James 1:27, John 11:35)
Kids love nature and aren’t afraid to get dirty. They just seem to belong in the mess. All of the most tender childhood games originate outside and involve messes. Making mudpies. Splashing in puddles. Climbing trees. Catching bugs. By the end of the day at the farm, August and Eden’s clothes are usually stained with dirt or grass, evidence of a day well spent. Are we willing to get our hands dirty? Are we stepping out of our comfort zone and getting in the mess to glorify God and grow the Kingdom? Do we consider that a day well spent? How much of the world, of God’s plan and goodness, are we missing if we stay inside? (Genesis 12:1, Matthew 14:29)
Kids sense urgency. If we’re going to be late to someplace they want to go, they urge us to step on the gas a little harder. They’ll do a little nervous jig or wring their hands in anticipation of something. If the timer is winding down on an activity the kids really enjoy doing, they want to finish what they started before it’s too late. When August and Eden have something important to say, they just can’t sit still in their chair until the thing is communicated to their listener. The sharing of something grand can be overwhelming. If something new, exciting, or game changing happens at school (like his first day in GT or unlocking a new character or level in a video game) August shouts, “MOM GUESS WHAT HAPPENED!” There is urgency to share the good news with someone he loves!
Do we feel this sense of urgency? Are we hitting the gas a little more to share the gospel? Are we wringing our hands in excited anticipation of Christ’s return? Do we feel the reality of our clock ticking? Are we going to respond and do the job that’s been set before us before the timer goes off? (Matthew 25:4-13) Do we love our fellow humans enough to share the game changing news of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection? (Mark 16:15-18)
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba, Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7)
Thank you, Lord, for your steadfast love for your children! Thank you for desiring to dwell with us. Thank you for my babies, and for the truths you let echo from their childhood into my soul. May the qualities you’ve revealed to me be reflected in my walk with Jesus by your Holy Spirit.
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6)
Photos by Brittany Ellen Portrait Photography