Child-Like Faith

Today I was extremely humbled when one of the mom’s from church messaged me and mentioned how her kids pray for me. I think there was a sense of surprise that 1. They would remember me, I mean her daughter called me Jerika for a good 2 weeks LOL and 2. They would care enough to pray for me. I mean I’ve heard their prayers and what staggers me is the purity and innocence of their prayers. But it reminded me so much of faith, child-like faith.

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2-4 ESV)

It made me think about the gospels and studying Jesus and his interaction among those who are more similar to us than we think. Despite the time period difference, Jesus is very intentional with who he met and healed. For instance, in the Leviticus laws, it talks about the unclean and how someone who is unclean if they have leprosy, touched a dead body, etc, And whoever touches them also becomes unclean and needs to do a certain task in order to become clean.Yet in his miracles Jesus would touch those who had leprosy or a disease or dead and what’s so crazy is that Jesus did not become unclean, but He made them clean. He healed, he gave life, and preached eternal life throughout his ministry. And I could help but notice that there are subtle yet important moments in the gospels that reveal how important faith like a child was to Jesus. Mainly the faith of centurion, the centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant and Jesus said he would come to him to heal. But there is an aspect of humility and faith when the centurion says he is not worthy for him to come to his house but if he said it, it would be. Ane Jesus marveled ( Matt 8:5-13). Or the next story over when he heals a paralytic, what does he notice? He notices their faith.

And this call to child-like faith does not mean to be ignorant, rather one that inquires and trusts. If you watch any child with their parents, before teenage age of course, they listen, they trust and they obey. They may ask questions why and how and why many many times, but if you ask for wisdom, God gives it freely ( James 1:5).

But this more so challenged me and my perspective. Sometimes I am more like the pharisees than I am a child. I pride myself on knowledge, yet Jesus did not marvel at them, instead he rebuked them. In fact he said that their traditions made the word of God void and although worship with their lips, their hearts were far ( Matth 15:1-9).

I often forget and even am unaware that at times, my knowledge about God does not equate to my faith in God. I definitely need the Holy Spirit to keep me and remind me. I leave with the final questions and thoughts. What does your knowledge fuel, pride of faith? But at the same time it’s also to call into the importance of the balance of faith and works as well. Genuine faith naturally leads to works, but works without faith remain powerless.