5 Ways Childlike Faith Can Impact Your Life Forever
Childlike faith is often described as a faith that does not doubt or seek explanations; it just believes. One would agree if we had faith like a child, we would live our lives differently. The good news is we can do just that. Even as adults, we can operate as little children; not in the immature natural sense, but in how we ignite and utilize our faith.
Oxford’s Dictionary states the definition of faith as “[uncountable] trust in somebody's ability or knowledge; trust that somebody/something will do what has been promised.” Whereas the Bible defines it a tad bit different. Faith is defined as belief with strong conviction; firm belief in something for which there may be no tangible proof; complete trust, confidence, reliance or devotion. Faith is the opposite of doubt.
Faith is what produces things to truly come to pass in our lives, and not necessarily always material things. Hope is a necessary component because as it increases it leads to faith, and faith is the vehicle that brings things to pass. For example, have you ever told a child that you would buy or do something for them, like “we will get some ice cream when I get off work”? That child doesn’t forget what you said. They will be the first one meeting you at the door, coat on and waiting. Now you can’t let them down because of their zeal and faith in the words they were told. It would crush them. Now you’re walking back to the car for ice cream… And in most cases, it’s funny because you forgot about it or maybe even never really had the intention to do it. See how this works… Here are 5 ways childlike faith can transform your life:
You ask questions
When you have childlike faith, you ask questions. Many of us are allowing life to happen to us without taking time out to pray and ask God questions like “Why am I going through this?” “What do I need to be doing?” “Where should I be going?” “Who do I need to be in partnership with and who shouldn’t I be in partnership with?”
See when you are a child, you will ask endless questions from sunup to sundown. Ask questions not only to God, but also ask others. From yourself to your significant other to your boss, ask the questions that you desire the answers to. When children ask the myriad of questions, it’s to gain clarity. Also know as an adult, clarity may come in a form of an answer that you do not like nor agree with, but that question provided you with necessary information needed for you to inevitably move your life into the direction in which you desired for it to go.
You will never doubt
Like the child in the earlier example, I can go out on a limb and say that the child never doubted the words of the adult. As soon as the words were spoken, they were received. Because of there being no doubt, it automatically caused the child’s actions to move accordingly. Reread that last sentence. Having childlike faith will empower you and push you into moving and not procrastinating. Having childlike faith produces actions. What have you been just waiting on to happen? What ideas have you been sitting on? Grab a hold of some childlike faith and begin to act as if there wasn’t anything that could hinder your success and forward motion. A child doesn’t think nor care about what could happen negatively, their ONLY focus is on what they see or what they were told. If you can see, it can come to pass. Stop doubting! You can start that business, you can write that book, your family can be restored, you do deserve that promotion, you are healed!
You begin to plan
When you have childlike faith, you plan. A child begins to say to themselves, “Ok… mom said she would take me to the park if I cleaned my room. Well, I’ve completed my room so let me figure out what toys I’m going to need to take with me, which friend can I ask to go with us to the park, let me see if mom will let me wear my new shirt to the park for all of my friends to see.” See childlike faith begins to plan. If you have the book idea, then begin to write out the names of the chapters of the book, or if you are looking to lose weight begin setting the times in which would be best for you to work out consistently every day. Plan to reward yourself as you meet the small goals and deadlines. When you have childlike faith you begin to see and plan.
Having childlike faith causes you to explore
When you have childlike faith, you begin to explore and venture out. For us adults that means we move out of our comfort zones and into the area of the unknown. We don’t worry about what could happen because we are no longer doubting, we begin to explore what it would look like to actually leave our house after a two-year pandemic, we begin to explore the idea of going back to school after all these years, no matter what the naysayers say, we dared to go into the beauty salon and try that new color and guess what? We love it!! Childlike faith operates out of courage and self-confidence. It doesn’t operate our of fear. Think about it. Most kids are fearless, it’s the world that teaches them to fear things. They normally do some of the most dare devilish things because they have no sense of it can’t be done!
You only trust and believe
ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THEM THAT BELIEVE. Having a childlike faith transforms your life if you would simply believe, and living a life with this faith causes you to move in a way uncharacteristic to most adults. When we become adults, we become so smart that we think our way right out of the destiny and purpose for our lives and into the alternate universe that never fulfills or satisfies us, and we spend our lives in a lesser version of the life that Jesus died for us to have. The Word says in the second half of John 10:10 (Amplified Version), “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” Having childlike faith moves you into the overflow of your life. Childlike faith will cause you to be full, complete and satisfied. Don’t we all want that? Well, I admonish you to begin to operate as a child and grab ahold of and possess the childlike faith. It will transform your very life into the life that you desire to see.
BONUS ONE – Children forgive and forget
Children forgive easily, not that it’s an easy task…. They simply forgive and forget. While we stew over things and analyze past hurts over and over again and how we have been wronged. Children forgive quickly, forget it and move on. That’s because they have faith that they won’t be hurt again. If we choose to trust God in all things, then we aren’t necessarily trusting individuals. We believe God has our best interest at heart and that He will handle that which we can’t. FORGIVE & THEN FORGET FOR YOU, not for others. Unforgiveness hinders things from occurring. Even in the Bible, in Matthew 18:3 AMP, it says, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless you repent [that is, change your inner self—your old way of thinking, live changed lives] and become like children [trusting, humble, and forgiving], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Watch how your life is about to transform.
Tiffany Patton is the Owner of Enerlight Candle Co., a certified womens luxury candle company, Self Love Strategist, Minister & Host of Award winning podcast ,On the Go with Tiffany Patton, available on iTunes, Spotify and IHeartRadio.
