Have you ever wished you could get back some of your childhood wonder, excitement, laughter, and joy? Do you remember those feelings of delight that came so easily years ago but are so hard to come by today?Am I the only one asking these questions?
I love life, I really do. But I'd also be the first to tell you that there are not many things that make me feel "childlike" again. When I use the word childlike, I am not referring to immaturity...I am referring to sweetness, to brightness of the eyes and lightness of the heart, to a heart that captures the moments and laughs with glee.
Somewhere along the way, I lost a lot of that. I thought the loss was normal.
You see, the more I live the more aware I am of just how fallen life on earth is. The more I live, the less ignorant I am to the faults of others and the sins in my own heart and life. The more I live, the more opportunities I have to be hurt and to hurt others. The more I live, the more cynical I become and the less I trust.
What I have struggled to realize is that the less I trust, the less I become childlike. Here is the equation I forgot:
Childlike Joy = Childlike Dependence
True joy, true delight, true lightness of heart and brightness of eyes is impossible without dependence on God. I've lost a lot of my "child-likeness" because I was depending on ME instead of God without even realizing it. I lost joy, delight, and wonder....because I was trying to find joy, delight, and wonder in myself, my plans, my ingenuity...and it's not to be found there at all, let me tell you!
Here were some more words (from Paul Miller "A Praying Life") that both pricked my conscience and gave me fresh perspective:
"Whenever Jesus starts talking about His relationship with His heavenly Father, Jesus becomes childlike, very dependent. "The Son can do nothing of His own accord" (John 5:19). "I can do nothing on my own" (John 5:30). "I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me" (John 8:28). "The Father who sent me has Himself given me...what to say and what to speak" (John 12:49). Only a child will say, "I only do what I see my Father is doing."
When Jesus tells us to become like little children, He isn't telling us to do anything He isn't already doing. Jesus is, without question, the most dependent human being who ever lived...he prays. And He prays. And He prays. Luke tells us that Jesus "would withdraw to desolate places to pray" (5:16).
When Jesus tells us that "apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5), He is inviting us into His life of a living dependence on His Heavenly Father. When Jesus tells us to believe, He isn't asking us to work up some spiritual energy. He is telling us to realize that...we don't have the resources to do life. When you know that you...can't do life on your own, then prayer makes complete sense."
When childlike dependence on our Heavenly Father is the cry of our heart, our hearts will sparkle with wonder, with childlike delight whether we are 30, 40 or 80 years of age!
"How precious is Your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light." Psalm 36:7-9
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