The Heart of a Child

"People were bringing little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And He took the children in his arms, placed His hands on them and blessed them."
Mark 10:13-16 NIV

My youngest daughter, Farrah, is at a really fun stage where she's small enough and sturdy enough to do all kinds of gymnastic style maneuvers with me. “Daddy, toss me!” is a phrase I hear over and over…She simply can't get enough! Some of the earliest memories I have as a kid were jumping into my dad’s arms from all kinds of high platforms ranging from tree branches, stair landings, and maybe even a rooftop or two! As an action sports enthusiast and father, it's really cool to see her enjoy doing these little tricks.

Even more so, it's a powerful reminder of the kind of heart God desires us to have. The heart of a child. A heart of complete trust, full of joy and adventure in our pursuit of His kingdom. As we grow older, we tend to become jaded. Inevitably we are hurt by others and we become guarded. We are burdened by life's many responsibilities and forget how to play. We lose our desire to explore and get outside of our "norm", so we settle for a lifestyle of complacency. There is so much out there that God still has for you if you would come to Him with child-like faith. I encourage you to join me in praying for God to restore in you the childlike heart He gave you and experience the true joy and adventure of living life as a follower of Jesus.