Acting Like a Child

Jesus is my best friend; my best friend; my best friend

Jesus is my best friend, he’s always there for me

In lieu of bedtime prayers, one night my almost 4 year old decided he wanted to sing to Jesus instead of talk to him. Listening to his sweet voice belt out the song his preschool class was practicing for church on Sunday was music to my ears. 

“Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger” Psalm 8:2

When did I begin to make God so complicated I thought?

Isn’t that an interesting question? We see God’s special love for children all throughout the Bible; we are reminded to have a childlike faith. Children see black and white; there isn’t a lot of gray area, so to them faith is simple: God loves us and is always there for us. 

I don’t know about you, but all too often I try and place limitations on God’s grace (as if that was something I could even try to control). I tell myself it’s the season I’m in, that having little kids and managing a household makes it difficult to find time to pray or read my Bible. The truth is, though, those things were hard for me even when I was single, newly married, working full-time, etc. I tell myself that I’m not doing enough; I’m not holding up my end of the deal with God.

When exactly did God require anything of me in order to be a recipient of his grace and mercy?

I recently saw something that said, “God won’t trade His love for our good conduct. We’re the only ones who are trying to make it a negotiation.”

Maybe you’re like me, feeling as though you’re unworthy or unwelcome because it’s been awhile since you’ve made your way to the foot of the cross. Maybe you feel guilty as you lie in bed, just trying to stay awake to get through a simple bedtime prayer.  Maybe you feel shame because you recognize that your fingers are really great at scrolling through social media, but not so great at flipping through the pages of your Bible.

Romans 8:38 clears things up for us when we find ourselves placing human limitations on God’s love:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nothing. There is no situation our human brains can conjure up, nothing we do or don’t do, nothing we shouldn’t have done or should have done better that can make God turn his back on us. It is impossible to be separated from Christ. IMPOSSIBLE. All throughout the Bible God makes it plain and simple; he writes us this glorious love letter reminding us that we are his and he is ours. God is not something to be found; he’s never lost, he is right here – always and forever. It is never too late to make your way back to your Father. 

The next time you’re feeling as though you don’t deserve God, stop and remind yourself this simple truth: God loves me and is always there for me. 

It may seem childlike, but it’s the truth; plain and simple.