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Are you childlike or childish? Jesus called a little child to him one day, and then said to his disciples: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). But the Apostle Paul wrote: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me” (1 Cor. 13:11).
In his book, Reaching for the Invisible God, Philip Yancey writes, “Somehow we must learn to distinguish between appropriate child-like behavior, a prerequisite for the kingdom of heaven, and inappropriate childish behavior, a mark of stunted growth” (page 214).
David gives us some insight into this in Psalm 131. He says, “I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Ps. 131:1b-2).
And so, a child-like attitude is one that does not complicate issues. A childlike person takes God at his word, even when failing to comprehend it. A childlike faith is unconcerned with all the details that are God’s responsibility, and rests in the assurance that the Heavenly Father has promised to supply all our needs.
For those of us who have raised children, we can easily distinguish childlike behavior from childish behavior. When our children are doing childlike things, we find them endearing, lovable. Those are the things we put in the baby book and tell Grandma and Grandpa. Childlike behavior is a beautiful part of the maturing process.
Childish behavior, on the other hand, is not so attractive. Those are the traits and characteristics we dutifully try to eliminate through teaching and correction.
In the same way, we need to develop childlike faith and eliminate childishness. Our Lord is looking for grown-up people with childlike faith. Does that describe you?