Faith like a Child

Recently, I was hanging around a playground with a client of mine (I do care work with the developmentally disabled).  While my client was busy swinging to his heart's content, a grandpa and his 4-year-old grandson walked up the playground.  I watched as the grandpa sat down on the nearby bench and his grandson tried with all his might to get his grandpa to play with him.

Because my client was safe and focused on his swinging, I decided to help the elderly man out.  I walked over to the boy, asked him his name, and asked him if he would like to go down the slide with me.  The dejected and frustrated 4-year-old looked up at me and beamed with an exaggerated nod, indicating his approval at my proposition.

We walked up the stairs, crawled through the tubes, I helped hold him as he struggled across the monkey bars, and finally I coaxed him to put aside his fears and go down the "big" slide.  After some time, the grandpa came over and told the boy that it was time to leave.  Before running away, the boy gave me a hug and the grandpa whispered, "thanks for playing with my grandson."  After they left, God spoke a simple passage of Scripture into my heart:

"Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it (Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17)."

This boy had never met me, yet because I was willing to meet him at his level and care for him, he loved me and followed me.  He didn't ask why he should follow me, nor did he question me leading him around the playground.  No, this boy had faith that I had his interests in hand.  This became clear when he was on the monkey bars, he clung to me, a total stranger, because he was so afraid of falling. True faith is more like this than any denomination, ritual, discipline, or doctrinal knowledge could ever hope to be.

Although the translation of the above verse is sufficient, it does lack in expressing the imperative nature of Jesus statement.  It might be more accurate to state that the one who does not receive the kingdom of God like a child cannot enter it.  The sort of innocent and pure faith of a child is not just a pithy motto that Jesus wants for us to put on plaques to hang above our mantles.  No!  Receiving God and His kingdom like a child is a requirement of faith, not merely a suggestion.  Let us then seek to have faith like a child so as to please God with love!