People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
—Luke 18:15-17
“Enter the kingdom of God as a little child” and “Have childlike faith” are popular phrases among Christians, but what do they mean? These phrases are so much a part of Christianity that many Christians, especially adults, have forgotten why they are important. Does Jesus mean we should perpetually act like children? Does He mean we shouldn’t think, speak and reason like adults, or make adult decisions?
No. In fact, Paul talks about putting away childish things later in the New Testament. However, neither Paul nor Jesus said to lose the capacity for childlike faith. Here, childlike faith means putting absolute trust in God— trust to
take care of us, trust to do what’s best for us, and trust to give us the good things He promises.
This level of trust is not unlike what a young child has for a parent. When a little kid looks at Mommy or Daddy, they don’t see a big, powerful adult who’s smarter and stronger than they are. Though Mommy and Daddy represent these things, to children they are loving, caring figures who make their world safe.
Adults usually don’t come to Jesus with this kind of attitude. We think He’s too busy solving wars, world hunger and other global-scale problems to bother taking us on His lap and nurturing us. We might even think He’s more eager to punish us than treat us like precious children. Yet, as 1 John says, precious children is exactly what we are. Jesus wants us to come to Him every day. He is never too busy, and His heart is always open to His children.
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