The words of Jesus are a stark reminder of how impressionable children are. They watch, learn, and mimic all that they see. This is why Jesus warns us against causing them to stumble. It is also why he praises them for their faith. When Jesus called, the child came.

Jesus welcomes people as they are, and children are not the exception. It doesn’t matter if they have never heard of him, or they grew up on the wrong (or right) side of the tracks, or they smell funny because their mom uses their bathtub as a kitty litter box. Jesus takes them in his arms and blesses them. He lays his hands on them.

Children appear small, weak, and unimportant in many ways. Maybe the disciples thought, “Why welcome children? What’s the benefit of receiving them?” God’s kingdom—even Jesus himself—can also appear to be small, weak, and unimportant. If Jesus wants his disciples to receive the kingdom like they would receive a child, perhaps the disciples don’t understand what God’s kingdom is really like.

We’ve been there; it’s a crushingly painful reality. It feels much like Kubler-Ross’ Five Stages of Grief: Denial; Anger; Bargaining; Depression; Acceptance. At the first signs of trouble, we want to believe it’s just a phase they are going through. They tell us everything is fine, and we hope it’s true. But it isn’t fine.

Christ asked that little children be allowed to come to him, but in the U.S. a teacher has to be careful how he/she does that. Then, I learned that a school was being built in Chad that would provide much knowledge and many skills to African children.

As a Christian woman, I have felt the need to be pious—prayerful, generous, and constant in my Bible reading. As a young mother and worship leader, I have worried, “How could I teach my son or lead our praise team with a worshipful heart if my own Christian walk feels lacking?” I have often felt I am not doing enough. I’ve even felt angry at the standards that seem to be necessary to be a good Christian.

Children serve as the Lord’s example for faith and entry into his kingdom (Mark. 10:14) because within the family they live by another’s care and love as we the children of God live by the Father’s care for us. The family and its life of blessing serve as the pattern for the Church’s life together.

As churches, we invest time, energy, and money into the faith development of our children. This is right. We should do this. We need to guide and shepherd our children as they grow and mature in their faith.

When we followed God’s direction to move to Taichung City and work alongside Taichung Victory Church, our desire was to help a struggling church.

So, how do you teach a child about child-like faith? The same way you teach older people. By living with Jesus, trusting in his word, and counting on God to make faith grow.

September/October 2023 issue of Faith & Fellowship