Have you ever heard the phrase, "you have the mind of a child!"? But the mind of a child is really not a bad thing. In fact, child psychology is a rapidly-growing field. People used to think that children were smaller versions of adults, but a lot has changed since psychological discoveries. In the mind of a child, there is a whole other universe in there! Children are always learning and growing, so they are always taking in new information like a sponge. So, when people say that "you have the mind of a child," consider it a compliment.

But, the mind of a child is not just fascinating because of the amount of psychological insight it gives. We all were children at one point. Rather, the mind of a child is also fascinating because it also provides insight for the Christian journey. When it comes to being a Christian, we are told in Scripture that we become part of God's family as His children. Our role in the Kingdom of God is as children of God, adopted in by the blood of Jesus. And as God's children, we share in the blessings He has given. Paul writes on this matter to the Romans: "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him" (Romans 8:16-17, WEB). So, we are children of God. But we are also told in Scripture that since we are God's children, we must also come to Him with childlike faith. What does it mean to have faith like a child?

Well, to answer that question, it is important to look at what faith is. According to the author of Hebrews, faith "is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1, WEB). Faith, then, is having assurance that a future hope is certain to happen. In the context of following Jesus, faith is taking God at His word. Faith provides the first step into doing God's Will and leads to the next step, obedience. So, knowing that faith is taking God at His word, it is time to look at what it means to have faith like a child. 

By nature, children are curious; this is what makes them excellent dreamers. A child's curiosity and desire to dream is what drives them to sketch millions of concepts of the flying car. However, children are also helplessly dependent on others -- they need help carrying out their dream. A seven-year-old wants to build a rocket ship, but she needs help grabbing cardboard for the frame. A five-year-old wants to build a fort, but he needs his parents' couch cushions for the walls. A child, therefore, is a dependent dreamer, one who needs to dream but also needs help achieving this dream. When it comes to the Christian faith, nothing could be simpler than the Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News of hope and joy (dream), but also shows that the hope and joy of the Gospel comes through Jesus alone (help). So, if faith is the assurance of God's Word, then having a childlike faith is acknowledging the dream and need for that promise.

The Gospel is so simple that a child can understand it. In fact, the Gospel is so simple that it requires a childlike faith and approach to fully understand it. This is why Jesus, during His ministry, used children to illustrate how one ought to approach God's Kingdom. There are three instances of this recorded in the Synoptic Gospels:

• "In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, 'Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?' Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them and said, 'Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven'" (Matthew 18:1-4, WEB).

• "They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them. But when Jesus saw it, he was moved with indignation, and said to them, 'Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these. Most certainly I tell you, whoever will not receive God’s Kingdom like a little child, he will in no way enter into it.' He took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands on them" (Mark 10:13-16, WEB).

• "An argument arose among them about which of them was the greatest. Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, and said to them, 'Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great'" (Luke 9:46-48, WEB).

In Matthew and Luke's accounts, the disciples of Jesus argued amongst each other about who was the greatest in the Kingdom of God. The disciples took turns giving their own defense for their own greatness, perhaps due to their holiness or hospitality toward Jesus. But, to their shock, Jesus uses a little child to illustrate how one ought to approach greatness in God's Kingdom. "Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child," Jesus says, "is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven" (cf. Matthew 18:4). Now, in the 1st-century, children received far less care and attention than in today's society. For Jewish parents in Roman-occupied Palestine, children were seen as potential workers and contributors to society. Childcare hardly existed, and children were often forced to work strenuously or undergo apprenticeship under a stranger (Green, The World of the New Testament, 183-85). Children, essentially, were seen and not heard. So, when Jesus uses a child as an example of greatness in God's Kingdom, it blows the minds of all the disciples. A similar instance is found in Mark 10, where Jesus is healing little children. Again, because of a child's status in society, the disciples attempt to 'shoo' the children away. But, Jesus says to them, "Allow the little children to come to me! Don’t forbid them, for God’s Kingdom belongs to such as these" (cf. Mark 10:14). Though children were looked down upon in the 1st-century, Jesus uses them as an example of Kingdom living. To humble oneself as a child meant to get rid of all disbelief and to acknowledge the need for help.

Children all need someone to rely on. A child, especially those of a younger age, do not know how to provide for themselves. They need help. As mentioned in the last post, children need help being fed, housed, cleaned, and taken care of until they can develop the means to do so themselves. Being a child means total surrender to and utter dependance on a higher authority. And, that kind of reliance is exactly what Jesus desires from those who follow Him. But being a child also means having big dreams and taking risks. In the mind of a child, the sky is the limit. And so, Jesus also wants us to dream big dreams and have a reckless faith in Him. As God's children, we have the opportunity to dream and have amazing ideas for the Kingdom. But more importantly, we have the opportunity to draw to the wonder of the Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News about the hope in Christ, which requires a childlike faith to believe it.

To conclude, what is a childlike faith? It is being a dependent dreamer in the Kingdom of God. It is soaring to new heights on the Wings of God. It is being able to think outside the box with God's help. In matters pertaining to the Gospel, it is the hope of salvation (dream) that rests in Jesus (help). Having a childlike faith is necessary to entering the Kingdom of God. And with childlike faith, dependent dreamers can do anything in the Kingdom of God. In the Kingdom of God, it is the dreamers and the pioneers that spread the Gospel to unreached peoples, start revivals, and carry the torch for the next generation. The Kingdom of God is built upon such risktakers. Just ask Corrie Ten Boom, Jim Elliot, Billy Graham, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., and countless other Christians who have trailblazed for the Christian faith.