Humility like a Child

"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 18:3-4

Where did the phrase "faith like a child" come from? I am genuinely perplexed that this phrase has so thoroughly overshadowed what is actually stated in this text. And it supports a fact I am beginning to notice--we do not preach humility as often and deliberately as we should. Not to say that Jesus wouldn't say we should have faith like a child... but let us not miss the words he actually used, eh?

The reason I noticed this is that I feel that God has been calling me lately--nay, commanding me--to have faith like a child, convicting me that I have been trying to believe in Him from a "mature, adult" standpoint and that this is folly and fruitless. It has led me to judge and doubt Him unjustly.

Faith and humility do go hand in hand... We must humble ourselves in order to believe. We must confess that our intellect, our perspective, our abilities are not enough--that faith is needed and that faith can be chosen. We choose to humble ourselves when we choose to believe.

A counselor told me this week that she thinks humility is believing God--that the humble are those who take God at His word no matter how contrary it may seem to our 5 senses or the logic of our minds. The humble person hears God tell him that he has been made whole and righteous and pure and he believes it even though he sees that he is broken and sinful and adulterated. The humble person hears God say that He is good and that He is sovereign and that He loves His creation and desires that none should perish and he believes it even though he sees suffering, pain, injustice, and men blind to God's grace all around.

This may seem foolish--to put your entire hope and faith in something that contradicts the concrete evidence at your fingertips... but again, it is a choice you have to make. Will you humble yourself, will you choose to believe, casting aside your "evidence" and forgoing trust in your own 5 senses, your own understanding?

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." I Cor. 1:18

"But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised... For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct him? But we [who believe] have the mind of Christ." I Cor. 2:14, 16

Reminds me of Nichole Nordeman's song, "Fool for You":

There are times when faith and common sense to not align
When hardcore evidence of you is hard to find
And I am silenced in the face of argumentative debate
And its a long hill its a lonely climb

Cause they want proof
They want proof of all these mysteries I claim
Cause only fools would want to chant a dead man's name
Maybe its true, yeah but...

I'll be a fool for you
Oh because you asked me too
A simpleton who's seemingly naive
I do believe
You came and made yourself a fool for me

I admit that in my darkest hours I've asked what if
What if we've created some kind of man made faith like this
Out of good intention, or emotional invention
And after life is through there will be no you

Cause they want proof of all these miracles I claim
Cause only fools believe that men can walk on waves
Maybe its true

Unaware of popularity
Unconcerned with dignity
You've made me free
That's proof enough for me

I'd be a fool for you
Oh if you ask me too
A simpleton who's only thinking of
The cause of love

I will speak Jesus' name
If that makes me crazy
They can call me crazed
I'm happy to be seemingly naive
I do believe you came and made yourself a fool for me