“Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. ~Matthew 18:3-6
When my middle son Darby was ten we were walking around the block on a rare sunny day and I said, “This is the route I use for my prayer walks.”
Darby stared back without saying a word, obviously deep in thought. Finally, he asked, “How do you not run into stuff?”
Caught me off guard I replied, “What do you mean son?”
“When you pray while walking how do you not walk into cars and stuff since your eyes are closed?”
I laughed out loud! I proceeded to rob his innocence by explaining that there are many ways to pray—walking, sitting, standing, kneeling, lying face down, eyes open (or closed). Each lesson we learn teaches us one more truth about life. At some point we realize that life isn’t easy, people are generally not good, and God doesn’t always fix the brokenness. Reality robs us of our innocence.
Life has a way of desensitizing us—hardening our once innocent hearts. It has a way of stealing our child-likeness. Children, like my ten-year-old Darby, haven’t experienced the friction of life that causes callousness and subsequent apathy. I believe that’s why Jesus admonished us to become like little children
Children are reckless, naïve, wild, and free. They are alive! They have no fear until experiences teach that some things should be feared. Until then, their level of trust and abandon is off the charts!
Remember when you were reckless and free? What happened to you?
I jumped off anything until I face-planted in the cement after jumping off a swing. Then I became afraid of heights. I loved holding lizards until one bit my finger. Then I avoided their touch. I loved to swim until my swim instructor failed me after I refused to put my head under the freezing water. I trusted the nuclear family until it was ripped away when my parents divorced. I loved my relationship with God until I experienced the legalism of the Church.
Life threatens to steal our innocence (John 10:10a). Fight against it. Reclaim the "wild life" of your innocent years by living as the best version of you through Jesus our Lord (John10:10b).
Expose those things that cause callousness and cut them away. Reclaim your lost innocence in the midst of a fallen planet. Live free. Embrace the wild. Live again and with abandon!
