Childish Or Childlike

Did you ever think about the kind of place the world would be if we were more childlike?
If we spoke from our heart without a filter?
If we spoke truth in love no matter what anyone else thought?
How refreshing that would be.

The young boys who will be cleaning up our walnut tree debris have two other brothers.
The youngest, who is in preschool, has an impish grin that melts your heart.
Sad that he cannot help with this particular job, he made his declaration.
Mrs. Gallagher, he called to me, adding more syllables than necessary to my last name.

I will work for you for $5.00 my entire life, he said with so much sincerity.
I had to smile as I looked over his head to his mother who was also smiling.
You will?
I will…and he made his list of jobs that he would do as the minivan door was closing.

Willing, though not yet able to do all he wants to do, yet.
He is the same little boy that always answers my questions with no real concept of time.
So when are you coming over to come see me?
Well, he says as he draws out the L sound, actually, maybe next week.

Next week, next year, all mean the same thing.
He really means: not today, but soon.
Honesty with no agenda and no time line.
Hugs abound; true joy appears when he sees your face through the crowd.

We adults are so guarded.
We watch what we say as if anything we say can be used against us.
We keep our feelings in check.
We left very few people in.

If we can only somehow return to the openness we once had as a child.

Impossible, the cynic would say.
Those days are long gone, the pragmatist announces.
We might offend, the peacemaker reminds.
Wouldn’t that be nice, the dreamer ponders.

At that time, the disciples came to Jesus, and asked, “Who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:1-4)

I have read that verse so many times.
I always think I know what it says.
I always miss an important word.
Tucked away in Jesus’ sentence is the key.

Unless you CHANGE and become like little children.
We think we have arrived when we reach adulthood.
According to Jesus, it is actually a hindrance.
A change is needed.

We want to argue with Jesus’ statement.
Why would I want to go back to being a child?
Jesus does not mean childish.
Jesus is talking about being child-LIKE.

There is a tremendous difference.

Being childish is being silly and immature.
Never growing up.
Still wanting your toys, and still wanting your way.
These are unpleasant qualities showing a lack of maturity.

Childlike, on the other hand, is what Jesus desires.
Innocent, unworldly, trusting, guileless, uninhibited, unaffected.
Having a naivete that is refreshing.
The childlike honesty that tells the emperor that he is not wearing clothes.

How we need that in our world today.
Guileless: without deceit, without falsehood.
Unworldy: not motivated by material or practical considerations.
Trusting: in our Heavenly Father alone.

The disciples must have been outraged.
To think that Jesus would have used a child as an example of what they need to be.
They grew up.
They left all of that behind them.

Jesus equates being childlike to being great.
Just like a little child looks to his father for provision, so should we.
We should speak loving truth from the heart, without a hint of deceit.
Seems impossible until we look at God’s Word.

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 Corinthians 13:11)

Becoming a man meant putting CHILDISH ways behind.
Childlike is desirable.
Childish is not.
The sad thing is that our culture cannot distinguish the two.

We lump them together and walk away from both.
Only one quality is to be discarded from our lives as followers of Jesus.
We are not helping our young people grow up.
We keep them in a state of perpetual adolescence.

We see innocence and trust as foolishness and an easy prey for the societal wolves.
Maybe we need a little more childlike behavior; trusting our Heavenly Father.
Believing all that He tells us in His word.
Experiencing true joy when we see a friend; speaking the truth in love.

What if Jesus pulled us aside, would He be pleased with the change He sees?
I wonder how many of us have changed from childish to childlike?
Maybe it is time to tell the emperor that he is not wearing any clothes.
Without a hint of guile.

Jesus would be pleased.