Faith like a child is not small like a child.
I once had this revealing experience with my niece, Akosua. Out of that experience, I was enlightened to grasp the true meaning of having faith like a child.
THE STORY
One day, I was spending a beautiful afternoon with my niece on the lawn of our house. As we enjoyed our time together, we noticed a ram we had was peacefully grazing on the lawn as well. But it was far from where we were. Unexpectedly, the ram began moving closer in our direction, munching on the grass along the way. Sensing the ram’s approach, my niece started feeling restless and anxious. She clung tightly to my leg and began crying sensing danger. But tears had not welled up in her eyes at that moment.
I glanced at the ram and realized it posed no immediate danger. Also, I thought the distance between us and the ram was ample for my niece to seek refuge in the house if she was truly frightened. I assumed her reaction was mere playacting, so I didn’t display any concern. However, she persisted in her distress, tightly clutching onto my leg, while the ram continued its leisurely approach.
As time passed, her crying grew louder. It was then that I realized her fear was genuine. So I scooped her up into my arms and carried her away from the unsettling scene. She ran to her mother, and it was then that I noticed tears streaming down her cheeks. It was at that moment I fully comprehended the depth of her terror. Regret washed over me as I acknowledged my inaction when she first started crying, failing to address her fears.
Reflecting upon the incident, I kept asking myself, why did she not run into the house if she was that terrified?
THE LESSON
1. Having faith like a child involves relying on God’s methods and not your own ways and understanding.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-7
I understood from the child’s behavior that she had faith in me protecting her more than in her ability to protect herself. Even though she had the time to run from the approaching sheep, she stood still by my side. She would rather have her destiny in my hands than put it in her own hands. She would rather trust me to protect her from the sheep than separate herself from me by trying to run away.
I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory, but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame. Psalm 44:6-8
2. Having faith like a child entails placing trust in God, even during times when He might seem silent or indifferent to your circumstances.
Even though I was not showing any sign of concern, the child remained steadfastly at my side. This illustrates that having faith like a child involves an unwavering commitment to serving the Lord, regardless of circumstances, and maintaining trust in Him. There are instances when we encounter difficulties, and it may seem as if God is distant. Sometimes the more we pray, the more the situation even worsens. The more the child cried, the more I laughed. I could laugh because I knew the ram was harmless but she didn’t know. Sometimes our God who knows all things, who understands all things, and who sees the end from the beginning knows that what we are going through is not an issue at all. Because you are already covered and safe in his mighty hands! Just as Jesus could afford to sleep in the midst of a storm when his disciples were crying out for him. And then when they woke him up and he calmed the storm, his question to them was “Where is your faith? ”
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