Childlike Faith

Matt. 18:1-6  About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”  Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them.  Then he said, “I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.  And, anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.  But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trust in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.”

Faith is being simple-minded before God.  It is simply trusting in God.  It is that absolute confidence that God always stays true to His character and His Word.  Faith is not letting the things we don’t know or understand throw us for a loop.  It is enough to know that God knows.  Faith is letting God worry about details and how to take care of us when we get into messes.  In other words, faith is simply living in the comfort and security of God’s love.

Little children are reactionary.  They sometimes react in negative ways that are not acceptable behavior in the world.  They must be taught and disciplined so that they will change their behavior and attitude into a more acceptable way of life.  If a child never learns and adapts, he will never mature to the point of fitting into life in the world.  It will affect relationships and his ability to enjoy life. 

Like little children, faith grows up.  But, like all of us, there always remains a little bit of a child in us.  He who forgets how to act like a child ceases to live.  All joy goes away and all that remains is a miserable life waiting for it all to end.  And, so it is with faith.  We must never lose our childlike qualities of faith that enable us to trust and enjoy the life we have in Christ.  We must get rid of the bad, but retain the good.

There is a grave danger for anyone who causes a child of faith to wander away from God.  Anyone who leads a child of God away from God will be responsible for it.  His fate will be such that it would have been better if he had never been born.  Be sure that what you teach and preach leads a person to Christ and not away from Him.