Grow Down: Rediscovering Childlike Faith in a Grown-Up World
From the message “Growing Down” by Caleb Dick (Executive Pastor) on February 11th, 2024.
Remember that childhood dream of becoming a professional football player, veterinarian, or astronaut? We all harbored aspirations of growing up, believing it meant achieving success and independence. But what if the key to true joy and purpose lies not in "growing up," but in "growing down"?
In Matthew 18, Jesus presented a profound challenge to our understanding of growing up:
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
But how do we, as adults, truly "grow down" and recapture the childlike qualities that hold the key to spiritual fulfillment?
This journey of "growing down" isn't about regressing into childishness; it's about rediscovering the innocence, trust, and wonder that often get lost in the complexities of adulthood. It's about cultivating a heart open to God's presence, embracing dependence on a higher power, and living with unwavering faith.
There are three ways we can grow down when we’re feeling too grown up:
1. Rekindle the Desire to be with Jesus:
Remember how children crave their parents' presence, finding comfort and security in their love? Similarly, Jesus longs for a deep, intimate relationship with each of us. The book of Revelation reminds us of this:
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
Within Jesus’ words are instructions on how to return and reignite the flame. So, how do we do it? By doing the things we did at first. Consider these examples:
Start your day with God: Dedicate time for prayer, reading scripture, or simply meditating on his presence.
Seek community: Surround yourself with believers who inspire and nurture your faith.
Repent of sinful behaviors: Own your faults and ask for forgiveness.
Practice gratitude: Reflect on God's blessings, big and small, throughout your day.
Prioritize church: Make coming to Sunday worship a weekly priority, not an optional extra. Bonus points if you can show up early or on time!
When you practice these things, it does something powerful in your life: it replaces negative behaviors with positive ones. You are proactively filling your life with something better and deepening your enjoyment of being with Jesus.
2. Become dependent on Jesus again
Imagine a young child navigating the world without their parents' guidance. Fearful and helpless, right? Why would it be any different with us in our relationship with God?
As we grow older, we can become overly independent and self-reliant. When we do this, we live as if we don’t need God, that is, until something happens that we can’t control. Then, we finally realize our limitations and rely on God's strength and provision.
Why not just stay in that place all the time? Jesus puts it like this:
"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."
— Mark 10:14-16
So, we should receive the kingdom of God like a child. That gives us a clue on how to increase our dependence on God. When you think about it, it’s the same way our children depend on their parents:
Love: Children thrive on the love of their parents and crave their attention/affection
Provision: Most kids don’t worry about what they will eat the next day or if there is enough money in the bank account. They simply experience the provision of their parents.
Healing: They trust us to know what to do when they are sick or get hurt. That’s why they run to mom or dad first.
Protection and strength: When they are afraid, they come running to us for reassurance and security.
Wisdom and Guidance: They ask us a million questions and trust our wisdom and understanding.
What if you operated the same way in your relationship with God? That’s a good way to start to grow down and build more dependence on Him.
3. Cultivate a Childlike Faith
Children trust their parents implicitly, believing they will protect, provide, and love them unconditionally. We must cultivate the same unwavering faith in Jesus, His promises, and His power.
Unfortunately, we can become too rigid in our understanding of God, get overly religious, and push others away from Him. This is exactly what happened with the Pharisees in Jesus’ time:
The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.
“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.
“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,
“ ‘From the lips of children and infants
you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”
Again, Jesus shows us how backward things work in His kingdom. The ones who should have understood (the Pharisees) completely missed it, while the children understood. When you have a childlike faith, you are filled with wonder and curiosity, allowing God to be who He is and operate outside your expectations.
What can you do to foster this kind of childlike faith?
Believe in the impossible: Dare to dream big and trust God to achieve the seemingly impossible.
See miracles everywhere: Open your eyes to the wonders of creation and daily life as expressions of God's love.
Approach scripture with awe: Read the Bible with an open mind and heart,seeking revelation and guidance.
Share your faith boldly: Witness with confidence and joy, like a child excited to share a discovery.
How Old is Your Faith?
How can adults truly "become like a child again”? It’s not childish; it’s by rediscovering our desire, dependence, and wonder in God.
The reality is that your faith should never really grow old. Sure, we mature in our faith and understanding - that’s great. But it should always remain fresh because we experience God in new, exciting, and unique ways. If He is truly infinite, He has no shortage of ways to cause us to wonder.
The only question is - do you think you have it all figured out, or can you grow down and rediscover the joy of a childlike faith?
