Childlike Trust
Posted by Sarah Modene on November 15th, 2008
These last few weeks have been difficult ones for me, but only until yesterday did I realize why they had been challenging and depression-inducing.
The reason, in its simplicity, was so astounding that it took a while to sink in. But really, when you think about it, it is almost always the reason we struggle with difficult situations: a lack of trust, and the crippling reason for its absence.
You see, I had convinced myself that I was trusting God to take care of me physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but in reality I was fighting against each adverse circumstance on my own, confident that I was in control and could determine my own future. No matter what I tried my hand at, if I didn’t use prayer and ask Him for His guidance, I failed. It became a pattern, from small to large things.
Slowly, though, He gave me reasons to think and consider why my life was not heading in the right direction. A minor car accident caused me to realize how blessed I truly am, and to put things in the right perspective. While thinking things through, I came to understand how pathetic my trust in Him was becoming.
You see, the primary reason for Christians’ problem with trusting God for direction and protection and everything else in life is because we struggle with pride. It is perhaps the basest human flaw, and one that causes the majority of our problems. It is often at the root of each and every sin, and is directly responsible for the opposite of trust: doubt.
For me, this was certainly the case. Though He had saved me from death and my sins, eventually I gave in to my nagging, though unspoken, doubts that He couldn’t do as good a job as me at planning my life. It was not until I admitted my fault and looked for the problem that I finally had peace.
For the past month, then, I had been searching for the key to unlocking the reason why I had not been trusting Him as I ought. Yesterday, something clicked.
I was not trusting Him because I was not having childlike faith.
Take a look at these verses:
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. (Mark 2:15, KJV)
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. (Luke 18:16, KJV)
Jesus very evidently stressed the importance of trusting Him as would a small child trust his own father. When we were small, we didn’t think through each and every command or piece of knowledge we recieved from our parents. “Brush your teeth” was never (or at least, not in my case :D) met with an adamant demand as to why your teeth needed to be brushed. We didn’t ask our parents why we were told to look both ways before crossing the street at the age of 2. We simply accepted these commands as truth and obeyed, and were happy as a result. That’s exactly how it should be for us as Christians.
So now, though I certainly need to work on exhibiting this childlike trust in my walk with Christ, I have more peace than I have ever had before, and as a result things are clearer. I’m still praying about several major decisions I’ve made and am in the process of making, but the lines are not as shadowed and I can begin to see the path that He desires me to follow.
And nothing will shake my faith as long as I trust in Him completely.
It really couldn’t be any simpler.
Note: I apologize for the lack of posts during the past month! This semester has been a busy one, but that’s no excuse and so I’m buckling down and fighting off my writer’s block with a vengeance. Prepare for some active posting! 
Excellent post — I really needed to read that this morning
Can’t wait to read your upcoming posts