Faith Like a Child...

Have you ever noticed how simple a child's faith is? That they take everything at face value - like God's Word and what it says? Tonight, I got firsthand evidence of that. I had set up a computer game for the kids to play - an 'I Spy' learning game from Scholastic. The two older kids, Jesaiah and Taliah took turns playing.

Anyways, it was getting close to bedtime so I told Jesaiah that it was his last game. Taliah had finished her last game already and was headed to bed. I went to our bedroom to change Dariah into her PJ's. When I came back I noticed that Jesaiah was on a different game than the one I left him with. So I asked him - 'did you finish the other one and start a new one?' He promptly said 'no'. But the look on his face was kinda weird, I thought. I asked again 'did you start the other game and now changed to this one?' Again 'no'. So I went to help Zachie get into his PJ's.

When I came back to Jesaiah, he said he didn't want to finish the game. And before I could ask him why not, he reached up and touched my elbow and started sobbing. 'What's wrong?' I asked. In between sobs, he got out these words - 'I lied Daddy, I lied to you. I did start a new game!' My heart was touched - I wasn't upset at all, just touched by such innocence, honesty and humility/brokenness. So I took him into our bedroom, talked with him about what it means to lie, that it is a sin. And we talked about what forgiveness means and how you obtain it. Then Jesaiah asked me for forgiveness and asked Jesus to forgive him also. I also told him that God doesn't remember it; it's all over. He confessed and asked for forgiveness and received it; now he doesn't have to worry about that any more. Forgiven and forgotten. That's grace.

And that was our first dealing with lying. Isn't it amazing and refreshing how easily a child will confess that they lied. How quickly it breaks them and causes them to seek repentance and restoration. Why is it that we adults will try to rationalize and justify our lies? Or call it anything except a lie or sin? Why is it that we don't just do what the Bible says and simply confess?

Ahh, to be a child once again. But isn't that what our Lord told us- faith like a child's (Mk 10.15)? Faith that simply takes His Word at face value, that simply desires to do what it says. Faith that simply trusts and depends on Jesus. That's the faith I want. And you?