A Childlike Attitude…The Pathway to Peace?

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. — Mark 10:13-15

In this sometimes confusing and mixed up world, filled with pressures and obstacles, is it possible to have a childlike attitude? What does that even mean?

Let’s break it down. The scripture from Mark 10:13-15 has some great insight. First of all, Jesus clearly says, “such is the kingdom of God” when He refers to little children. So, is He telling us that only children have a pathway to heaven? Apparently not, because in the next verse He says, “Whosoever shall NOT receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter in.”

So, the pathway to God, to the kingdom, and to all that it brings: peace, love, serenity, security, strength, hope, happiness, and more become available to us if we will enter into it as a little child. Well, if this is true (which it is) then our next step is to obtain a clear understanding of what receiving the kingdom of God as a little child really is.

Characteristics of a Child

Children, if we really think about it, whether they are well behaved or somewhat out of control, all hold true to certain character traits. I believe these are the ones that Jesus is targeting:

• Children live in the now. Most children don’t worry about what will happen five years down the road. They don’t toil over basic issues of life. Even children that live in extreme poverty seem to have a sense of “now.” Our heavenly Father wants us to appreciate and be content with today. The Word of God is filled with direction regarding this issue. “Don’t be anxious about tomorrow, live in this day.” (paraphrased from Matthew 6:34)

• Children aren’t cynical. A child can take things at face value. They think in simple terms for the most part. They also process things pretty simply. If you are happy and smile, you can generally get a child to partake in your happiness with you. Children aren’t eyeing each other up, mistrusting, looking for the loophole, wondering when the bomb will drop or worrying if another person will take advantage of them. Basically, if you want to play on the swings and they want to play on the swings, all things are good. We can take that attitude to heart. Does that make us more vulnerable? Of course it does. But I believe God wants us to be vulnerable. Walls do nothing but hold us as prisoners and keep others away. We are to believe the best of others at all times. Will we get hurt along the way? This is certain…but so do children, and they keep right on going.

• Children don’t need to have the entire plan laid out in order to trust. One of our biggest hurdles as believers is the fact that we tend to teeter in and out of trusting God. Sure, we know that He supposedly has our best interests in mind, but more often than not our faith is easily shaken when outward circumstances start looking glum. God wants us to trust Him regardless of what the circumstances appear to be. In all reality, if our faith is never tested, how will we really know if we trust Him or not? Life is messy. It’s not always smooth sailing. But just as a child relies on the assurance of his or her caregiver, we need to have that same simple faith toward God.

Keeping It Simple

To sum up this Scripture, it is safe to say that we need to drop our guard, release our doubt, and basically stop trying to figure it all out. God has a funny way of doing things in ways we would never expect anyway…so worrying or trying to figure out how certain situations will play out is an unnecessary waste of energy.

Keep it simple, live one day at a time, or one moment at a time if need be. Return to Him often, whenever you see yourself wavering off of the path of peace…and you will find it.

Don’t try to take life into your own hands, He has a plan and purpose for your life. All you really need to do is get on the right path and hold tight. He will see you through every storm and every situation.

I will leave you with this encouragement, “Fear not little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32