by Amanda Lack
This article was originally published in PCJH’s Fall 2024 Pinnacle, “Faith Like a Child”
“Are we there yet?” being asked by a kid for the 47th time when you’re not even out of the neighborhood can certainly wear on the nerves of any parent. However, asking questions is absolutely essential to appropriate growth. Okay, maybe the “are we there yet” question is just annoying. But truly, have you ever noticed how many questions children tend to ask? Similar to how babies put everything in their mouth, this is how they learn about the world around them! Babies aren’t yet able to articulate words so they explore through touch.
Children between the ages of 2 and 5 begin to have the vocabulary and articulation to learn about the world around them by experiences and asking questions. In fact, research shows that children at age 4 ask around 300 questions a day… and about total 40,000 questions are asked by kids between ages 2-5. This is incredible! Their brains are so thirsty for knowledge, and a lot of cognition is taking place that will set them up for success later. In fact, curiosity is one of the most important habits kids can have in order to be more successful in school and in life.
As a mother of three as well as a preschool teacher, I’m quite aware of the inquisitiveness of children. Sometimes when you’re at home trying to cook dinner or in the classroom trying to get through a lesson and interruptions continue by your tiny question-asking companion(s), the adult tendency is to sigh and tell them – in some form – to be quiet. Why do we do this? Why do we silence the inquisitive nature of these little learners?
Well there are obvious circumstances as adults in those moments of feeling stressed, overwhelmed, processing a rough day, being in pain and so on that are very legitimate reasons to not be fully engaged in a child’s relentless stream of question asking. But it’s important to see it differently when the possibility is there to do so. We want to teach children not to interrupt and certainly to show respect, but when the moment is there to engage, it should be taken as a benefit to both parties involved.
So, what can kids’ questions teach us as adults? Simply put: it can teach us to remain childlike. To be childlike is very different from being childish. Being childish indicates a lack of maturity, but being childlike indicates having a sense of wonder, being curious, acquiring more knowledge you don’t yet have, and, you guessed it… asking questions. These are healthy traits of a lifelong learner, which adults should be in order to fulfill all our capabilities and expand our possibilities; it helps us be more adaptable and confident, fulfilled and healthy, and so much more.
Kids don’t think about limitations and how hard something can be, they just let creativity flow and have no problem thinking of new ideas. While adults realize that life holds many highs and lows, the art of asking questions is the beneficial thread woven through our quilt of life with its various patches of all the seasons we hold.
As Christian circles, we talk about having childlike faith. In the Gospels, Jesus Himself mentions in Matthew 18:4-5 “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” These are powerful words not to be taken lightly. Another thing to consider is – does God mind our questions? Actually, I think it delights His heart greatly when we approach Him with questions. Children ask questions all the time and after all, we are God’s children. Being curious and asking questions is not just a child thing, it’s a human thing.
We see Jesus’s disciples asking Him questions quite a bit – 187 times in the gospels to be precise. This Rabbi was shaking things up and they were constantly curious about it. When things don’t make sense or we don’t have enough information to make connections, we ask questions. When we’re curious and want to challenge assumptions, we ask questions. This helps us attain more information in order to make a decision.
After asking God our own questions (He can handle the hard ones, too!) we see answers in prayer, a trusted friend, reading His Word, and hearing that still, small voice the Bible talks about. Let us be a generation that continues to ask questions and keeps childlike wonder alive both for our own sake and as an example for the generation to come.