By Aaron Nydam & Ron Nydam
This article was originally published in PCJH’s Fall 2024 Pinnacle edition, Faith Like a Child
When we read Matthew 18: 3-4, Jesus makes a strong statement to all of us “adults” about the true nature of faith. “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” There is something quite powerful in the challenge of following the example of a child. Jesus needed his disciples, and all of us, to consider how faith is not something that we simply teach to our children. Instead, faith is something that our children teach us.
When we slow down a bit and observe the faith of our children, perhaps the first word that comes to mind is trust. Children trust. Through early development our children learn to trust that someone is there even when that person, father or mother, may not be seen. Children can know that someone else is present in another room and this gives the child the security necessary to explore the world with great freedom to do so.
Children learn to trust because of our continuous presence in their lives as caring adults who are committed to being a part of their lives. And when they feel secure, life can become a delightful experience for them, in part because they are able to trust in the presence of another. As adults, how do we come to really see and trust God’s committed presence in our lives?
There’s also something wonderfully beautiful and even simple about the faith of a child which is unburdened by all the challenges and complexities that adulting brings to us. We might note that the faith of a child can be simple because it is yet to meet all the tests that are yet to come with the human condition. Again, security is primary. The first experiences of life need to be the experiences of security so that children can grow, explore, and be curious about the world in which they live. Faith can be formed.
When trust is broken because of the absence of that parent figure, a childlike faith is harder to come by. Put simply, if my father or mother is not there for me, why would I believe that God is there for me? As life moves forward, the hardships of everyday life have impingements on the life of the child and their faith. Hurts and disappointments are part of our life experience and though we may wish to protect our kiddos from them, we can only do that in a limited way. Our task is to help them navigate the sorrows that come with life experiences, disappointment when grades fall short, when social injury occurs in the context of the classroom. When all these experiences occur, these are the challenges to childlike faith.
In these moments, our children need to know that they are known. They need to know that there is one parent that really gets them, that understands them, that knows them deeply. When we are known, we are encouraged. When we are known, we borrow strength and confidence from the adults that know us. When we are known, we begin to trust. However, being known is sometimes hard to believe. Our task as parents and caring adults is to spend enough time in their early lives that they know for sure that they are known.
And finally, when we think about trust, or we think about hardship in life, or when we think about being known, we may come to realize that not only are these the things that children must learn for childlike faith, but as Jesus suggested, they become our teachers. Our children model faith for us. As adults, we manage uncertainty, and we may become doubtful, even about the love of God. In these moments, our children teach us about faith. Taking time to consider a child’s faith can lead us to remember our own spiritual history and struggles and our own need for God. Hebrews 11:1 reminds us, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see”. To form our faith, Jesus points us to our children, for whom we are eternally grateful.