What does it mean to have faith like a child?
I believe that children are born spiritually alert. If we nurture the spirit being in the child, they will continue to speak to and hear from God. That is pretty powerful! Children are born loving all. They only know what we tell them. They only see the unseen in whatever way it is shown to them by adults or other children who overheard it from the adults around them. Children just want to play and have fun. They want to love and be loved.
When it come to forgiveness, children forgive so easily. It doesn't matter how many times we lose our temper or yell. If we apologize, they will automatically say, they forgive you. So, what happened to us. There are parents who have never said they are sorry to their children. To that end, the children never learn to say it either. If children learned that they are not perfect and will make mistakes, but have the opportunity to apologize and ask for forgiveness; the children could grown up to be good citizens, neighbors, co-workers or friend. How will they learn if we don't show them?
I am convinced that we, as a nation, are so far from the basics of life that it will take something catastrophic to bring us back to our humble beginning. I remember my humble beginning every day. I remember not having much, holes in the floor or an empty refrigerator. I remember having to turn the heater off in the winter to ensure the bill was not too high to pay. When I think about those things, I remember that I have come a long way. I don't have that problem anymore. I am truly blessed, but most of the people in the world are still suffering in that way or have even less. That humbles me and tears my heart apart, because there are children in most of those household. While I know I can't save them, I can certainly think about them and pray for them. Everyone that gets out of a situation like that should have an avenue to give back in some way. If we can't change one life, we must wonder why are we here in the first place. Impacting one life can change the world.
Faith like a child is to believe that we can change the world. Faith like a child means we can believe that we can all get along. Faith like a child means we can all learn to tolerate each other so we can play well together. We may not always agree and we may fight, but we know that after we leave the playground we go home, shower and come back out to play together the next day as if nothing happened.
I believe that children are born spiritually alert. If we nurture the spirit being in the child, they will continue to speak to and hear from God. That is pretty powerful! Children are born loving all. They only know what we tell them. They only see the unseen in whatever way it is shown to them by adults or other children who overheard it from the adults around them. Children just want to play and have fun. They want to love and be loved.
When it come to forgiveness, children forgive so easily. It doesn't matter how many times we lose our temper or yell. If we apologize, they will automatically say, they forgive you. So, what happened to us. There are parents who have never said they are sorry to their children. To that end, the children never learn to say it either. If children learned that they are not perfect and will make mistakes, but have the opportunity to apologize and ask for forgiveness; the children could grown up to be good citizens, neighbors, co-workers or friend. How will they learn if we don't show them?
I am convinced that we, as a nation, are so far from the basics of life that it will take something catastrophic to bring us back to our humble beginning. I remember my humble beginning every day. I remember not having much, holes in the floor or an empty refrigerator. I remember having to turn the heater off in the winter to ensure the bill was not too high to pay. When I think about those things, I remember that I have come a long way. I don't have that problem anymore. I am truly blessed, but most of the people in the world are still suffering in that way or have even less. That humbles me and tears my heart apart, because there are children in most of those household. While I know I can't save them, I can certainly think about them and pray for them. Everyone that gets out of a situation like that should have an avenue to give back in some way. If we can't change one life, we must wonder why are we here in the first place. Impacting one life can change the world.
Faith like a child is to believe that we can change the world. Faith like a child means we can believe that we can all get along. Faith like a child means we can all learn to tolerate each other so we can play well together. We may not always agree and we may fight, but we know that after we leave the playground we go home, shower and come back out to play together the next day as if nothing happened.
Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,
you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, whoever takes a humble place-
becoming like this child-
is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
Matthew 18:3-5
