When people hear the phrase “childlike faith,” they sometimes imagine something naïve or overly simple. Yet when Jesus speaks of children, He is not praising ignorance, but the posture of the heart. Many people have asked me this question with a quiet concern: Does faith mean we stop thinking? In truth, childlike faith does not diminish our minds—it frees our hearts.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples that unless we become like children, we cannot enter the Kingdom of God. Children approach life with a deep sense of trust. They depend on their parents without constant fear, calculations, or suspicion. When Jesus invites us to childlike faith, He is calling us to trust God in that same way—not because we understand everything, but because we know who is holding us.
Childlike faith is also marked by humility. Children do not pretend to have all the answers. They ask questions freely and receive what is given with open hands. In our spiritual lives, this means coming before God without masks or pride, allowing Him to teach us again. The Church reminds us that faith grows not by control, but by surrender—by letting God be God.
Finally, childlike faith brings us back to love and wonder. Children rejoice easily, forgive quickly, and believe that goodness is possible. When we live with childlike faith, prayer becomes less about performance and more about relationship. We begin to live each day not in fear of failure, but in confidence that we are beloved sons and daughters of a Father who delights in us.
Reflection – A Closing Thought
May we never outgrow the simple courage to trust God with our whole hearts. Let us ask for the grace to believe—not because we see everything clearly, but because we know we are deeply loved.
— Fr. John Matthew, for Christian Way
