Faith of a Child

There have been pages written songs sung and sermons preached about having the faith of a child. I understand all the points being made, but over the past few days I have gained a new understanding.

My wife has been gone to the Women of Faith conference in Rochester, and I have been hanging out with the kids. I have been amazed by watching the kids interact and by the way they respond to my instruction. There have been many times when I know they have clearly heard and understood the given instructions. They simply were not going to do what I asked. This is nothing unusual for children.

At the same time, my kids trust me fully. They know I will be there for them, and that I have their best interest in mind every time. In a world of uncertain things, they know my wife and I can be trusted.

The faith of a child is what gives us complete trust in our heavenly father. The faith of a child is what also gives us the heart of willful disobedience. There is more than once in my life when I have heard God, and understood God, yet I was not going to do what I heard and understood. Many times I have claimed to not know or understand what God was leading me to do, and it has been true. There are an equal number of times when I have heard, understood and ignored, or I have used the holy sounding language of waiting for God's guidance. The reality is, I was simply being disobedient.

I think we know more of how God is directing us than we like to admit, only we don't want to do what we are being called to do. Just like I long to have my children do what I ask them to do, I am sure God longs to have us, His children, do what we are asked to do.