Childlikeness

I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2

There is a wonderful simplicity and lack of pretension about a small child. They don’t name-drop – except to say “MY Dad is the best!” or “MY Dad knows everything!” To them their father is the greatest and can do no wrong….. then they become teenagers! When I became a teenager I knew that I knew better than my Dad! Little children usually trust their father, look up to him and rely on him for protection. Above all, they believe that what he tells them is the truth.

When the disciples tried to turn the children away from ‘bothering’ Jesus, he stopped them. He brought them near and blessed them, reminding the disciples that the kingdom of heaven belongs “to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). What did he mean?

In Matthew 18:1-6 we find the disciples vying for position, yes, competitiveness was ‘alive and well’ in their lives. They wanted to know who was going to be greatest in the kingdom. Jesus again used a little child as an example of those who would enter the kingdom of heaven. He said that a childlike humility was required for greatness in his kingdom, not a degree in theology, a fantastic CV, or great power and wisdom.

As adults we often get educated out of our simplicity and lose the ability to retain or maintain a childlikeness which is attractive to God. Childlikeness is different to childishness. Childishness is not attractive in a grown person and it usually shows a presence of bad traits, for instance selfishness, meanness, jealousy and greed. I thought about the traits of a small child that God looks for. There is a willingness to change (turn from our sin, verse 3), there is a simple trust that what father says is true. How precious are these ways to God and, for that matter, to any father.

A child looks to his father to solve his problems, help him fix things, comfort his sadness and supply all his needs. A child does not worry or question whether the father can do these things, he has an inbuilt knowledge of and trust in his father’s love for him which causes him to expect all these benefits to be there for him. I tend to believe that this is what God wants us to be like, so let’s try and make childlikeness our aim.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to understand the importance of childlike simplicity. Deliver me from childishness but help me to have the simple trust of a child. Amen