Be Like A Child
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The Sacred Joy of Childlike Faith: Learning to Enjoy Life Again
There's something profoundly beautiful about watching children at play. They lose themselves completely in the moment—spinning in living rooms, digging in dirt, creating elaborate games from nothing. They don't worry about what others think. They don't calculate the productivity of their actions. They simply exist in pure, unfiltered joy.
And according to Scripture, this is exactly how God wants us to live.
The Divine Invitation to Happiness
The book of Ecclesiastes offers us a surprising perspective on what God desires for His people. In chapter 3, verses 12-13, we're told that there is "nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live." Later, in chapter 8, verse 15, the writer commends "the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad."
This isn't a call to hedonism or selfishness. Rather, it's a divine permission slip—even a command—to find satisfaction and joy in the life God has given us.
How often do we walk through life with furrowed brows and heavy hearts, so consumed by responsibilities that we forget to actually live? We chase financial security, career advancement, and endless to-do lists, all while the days slip through our fingers like sand. We become so serious that we lose sight of what truly matters.
The sobering truth is this: at the end of our lives, we won't wish we had worked more hours or earned more money. We'll wish we had spent more time with family. We'll wish we had enjoyed life more. We'll wish we had more fun.
The Proper Priorities
Finding true satisfaction requires getting our priorities in order. Many well-meaning people place their spouse or children at the top of their priority list, but this actually misses God's design.
The healthy hierarchy looks like this:
With this foundation in place, joy becomes possible even in difficult circumstances. This is why James could write about considering it "pure joy" when facing trials. He wasn't suggesting that hardship itself is pleasant, but that joy can coexist with difficulty when our foundation is secure.
Becoming Like Children
In Matthew 18:1-3, when the disciples asked Jesus who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, He responded by calling a little child to Him. "Truly I tell you," Jesus said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
We often interpret this passage solely through the lens of childlike faith—that simple, unquestioning trust in God. And while that's certainly part of the message, there's something more here that we often miss.
Children don't just trust easily. They also know how to enjoy life.
Watch a child for any length of time and you'll notice they approach everything as an opportunity for play. Cleaning a room becomes a game. Sweeping the floor turns into a creative challenge. They find joy in the mundane because they haven't yet learned to separate "work" from "play" in the rigid way adults do.
Children are present in the moment. They're not worried about tomorrow's deadlines or last week's failures. They haven't yet developed the self-consciousness that paralyzes so many adults. They dance without caring who's watching. They create without fear of judgment. They play without calculating the productivity of their actions.
This is the freedom God wants for us.
The Weight of Adult Seriousness
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, most of us lose this capacity for simple enjoyment. We learn to doubt. We become skeptical. We develop a fear of what others might think. We become so focused on appearing competent, professional, and put-together that we forget how to truly live.
We worry constantly about money, even though it comes and goes. We stress about possessions that will eventually break or become obsolete. We build our satisfaction on foundations of sand—careers, homes, vehicles, status—all things that are temporary.
But true satisfaction isn't found in wealth or material comfort. People who have experienced various financial situations often discover that contentment has little to do with bank account balances. Joy is possible in poverty. Misery is possible in plenty. The difference isn't circumstances—it's perspective.
The Contagious Nature of Joy
One of the greatest criticisms leveled at the church is that Christians often don't appear to be particularly joyful people. We get so caught up in the serious business of explaining theology and defending doctrine that we forget to demonstrate the actual joy of knowing Christ.
But joy is contagious. When people see genuine enjoyment of life, genuine peace in the midst of chaos, genuine love that isn't dependent on circumstances—that's compelling. That draws people in.
The theological details matter, of course. Understanding Scripture is important. But what initially attracts people to Christ isn't usually the intellectual arguments—it's the love, joy, and peace they see demonstrated in the lives of believers.
Practical Steps Toward Joy
So how do we reclaim this childlike approach to life?
First, we must learn contentment. Silence shouldn't make us uncomfortable. Being alone with our thoughts shouldn't feel threatening. If it does, that's a sign we're not at peace with ourselves or with God.
Second, we need to prioritize relationships over productivity. When family needs us, that's not an interruption—that's the point. The dishes can wait. The work email can go unanswered for an evening. These moments with the people we love are what life is actually about.
Third, we must give ourselves permission to have fun. Do something silly. Try something new. Take a risk on an activity that sounds enjoyable, even if you might not be good at it. Dance in your kitchen. Play games with your kids. Let yourself laugh freely.
Finally, remember that God wants you to enjoy life. This isn't selfish or frivolous. It's obedience to His design for human flourishing.
The Warning and the Promise
Jesus' words in Matthew 18 carry both warning and promise. Unless we become like children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. This should give us pause. Perhaps our eternal destiny is more connected to our capacity for trust, wonder, and joy than we've realized.
But the promise is equally powerful: life can be enjoyed to its full. Peace is possible. Joy can follow us every day. Not because circumstances are always good, but because we've learned to find satisfaction in what truly matters—our relationship with God and with the people He's placed in our lives.
The days are fleeting. Life passes quickly. We can spend it in grim determination, checking boxes and meeting obligations, or we can learn again what we once knew as children: that life itself is a gift meant to be enjoyed.
The choice is ours.
There's something profoundly beautiful about watching children at play. They lose themselves completely in the moment—spinning in living rooms, digging in dirt, creating elaborate games from nothing. They don't worry about what others think. They don't calculate the productivity of their actions. They simply exist in pure, unfiltered joy.
And according to Scripture, this is exactly how God wants us to live.
The Divine Invitation to Happiness
The book of Ecclesiastes offers us a surprising perspective on what God desires for His people. In chapter 3, verses 12-13, we're told that there is "nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live." Later, in chapter 8, verse 15, the writer commends "the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad."
This isn't a call to hedonism or selfishness. Rather, it's a divine permission slip—even a command—to find satisfaction and joy in the life God has given us.
How often do we walk through life with furrowed brows and heavy hearts, so consumed by responsibilities that we forget to actually live? We chase financial security, career advancement, and endless to-do lists, all while the days slip through our fingers like sand. We become so serious that we lose sight of what truly matters.
The sobering truth is this: at the end of our lives, we won't wish we had worked more hours or earned more money. We'll wish we had spent more time with family. We'll wish we had enjoyed life more. We'll wish we had more fun.
The Proper Priorities
Finding true satisfaction requires getting our priorities in order. Many well-meaning people place their spouse or children at the top of their priority list, but this actually misses God's design.
The healthy hierarchy looks like this:
- God first
- Spouse second
- Children third
- Church fourth
With this foundation in place, joy becomes possible even in difficult circumstances. This is why James could write about considering it "pure joy" when facing trials. He wasn't suggesting that hardship itself is pleasant, but that joy can coexist with difficulty when our foundation is secure.
Becoming Like Children
In Matthew 18:1-3, when the disciples asked Jesus who is greatest in the kingdom of heaven, He responded by calling a little child to Him. "Truly I tell you," Jesus said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
We often interpret this passage solely through the lens of childlike faith—that simple, unquestioning trust in God. And while that's certainly part of the message, there's something more here that we often miss.
Children don't just trust easily. They also know how to enjoy life.
Watch a child for any length of time and you'll notice they approach everything as an opportunity for play. Cleaning a room becomes a game. Sweeping the floor turns into a creative challenge. They find joy in the mundane because they haven't yet learned to separate "work" from "play" in the rigid way adults do.
Children are present in the moment. They're not worried about tomorrow's deadlines or last week's failures. They haven't yet developed the self-consciousness that paralyzes so many adults. They dance without caring who's watching. They create without fear of judgment. They play without calculating the productivity of their actions.
This is the freedom God wants for us.
The Weight of Adult Seriousness
Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, most of us lose this capacity for simple enjoyment. We learn to doubt. We become skeptical. We develop a fear of what others might think. We become so focused on appearing competent, professional, and put-together that we forget how to truly live.
We worry constantly about money, even though it comes and goes. We stress about possessions that will eventually break or become obsolete. We build our satisfaction on foundations of sand—careers, homes, vehicles, status—all things that are temporary.
But true satisfaction isn't found in wealth or material comfort. People who have experienced various financial situations often discover that contentment has little to do with bank account balances. Joy is possible in poverty. Misery is possible in plenty. The difference isn't circumstances—it's perspective.
The Contagious Nature of Joy
One of the greatest criticisms leveled at the church is that Christians often don't appear to be particularly joyful people. We get so caught up in the serious business of explaining theology and defending doctrine that we forget to demonstrate the actual joy of knowing Christ.
But joy is contagious. When people see genuine enjoyment of life, genuine peace in the midst of chaos, genuine love that isn't dependent on circumstances—that's compelling. That draws people in.
The theological details matter, of course. Understanding Scripture is important. But what initially attracts people to Christ isn't usually the intellectual arguments—it's the love, joy, and peace they see demonstrated in the lives of believers.
Practical Steps Toward Joy
So how do we reclaim this childlike approach to life?
First, we must learn contentment. Silence shouldn't make us uncomfortable. Being alone with our thoughts shouldn't feel threatening. If it does, that's a sign we're not at peace with ourselves or with God.
Second, we need to prioritize relationships over productivity. When family needs us, that's not an interruption—that's the point. The dishes can wait. The work email can go unanswered for an evening. These moments with the people we love are what life is actually about.
Third, we must give ourselves permission to have fun. Do something silly. Try something new. Take a risk on an activity that sounds enjoyable, even if you might not be good at it. Dance in your kitchen. Play games with your kids. Let yourself laugh freely.
Finally, remember that God wants you to enjoy life. This isn't selfish or frivolous. It's obedience to His design for human flourishing.
The Warning and the Promise
Jesus' words in Matthew 18 carry both warning and promise. Unless we become like children, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. This should give us pause. Perhaps our eternal destiny is more connected to our capacity for trust, wonder, and joy than we've realized.
But the promise is equally powerful: life can be enjoyed to its full. Peace is possible. Joy can follow us every day. Not because circumstances are always good, but because we've learned to find satisfaction in what truly matters—our relationship with God and with the people He's placed in our lives.
The days are fleeting. Life passes quickly. We can spend it in grim determination, checking boxes and meeting obligations, or we can learn again what we once knew as children: that life itself is a gift meant to be enjoyed.
The choice is ours.
Posted in healing, hope, Practical Faith, Worship
Posted in #havefun, #bibleteaching, #faith, #encounterGod, #lacrossecommunityCOTN, #pastorstevenlarrabee
Posted in #havefun, #bibleteaching, #faith, #encounterGod, #lacrossecommunityCOTN, #pastorstevenlarrabee
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