Imagine yourself as the little kid version of you. Do you remember the little kid version of you?
Think way back to when you used to be a little kid. Remember how you ran and played! We grow up and we don’t run anymore. It’s not “dignified” to run. But as a little kid we couldn’t help but run! We were just so full of joyful enthusiasm we couldn’t help but run!
We would run and skip!
We would laugh!
We would twirl … and dance … and sing!
We would sing songs that didn’t make sense. We would sing songs that we made up. We would sing songs about clouds … and sunshine … and about bugs in the dirt.
We would sing whenever we felt like it … the songs would just tumble out of us, at any time of the day!
We didn’t care how we sounded when we sang. We just sang! We sang loud! We sang our hearts out!
Oh, and everyone was our friend … even if we just met another little kid for the very first time. They were instantly our friend … and off we went to play together. It didn’t matter who their family was. Nothing mattered except they were now our new best friend! And they were fun to play with!
We ran off with them to catch lightning bugs together! And explore!
Oh, and the wonder of discovery! Remember how every new little discovery was one of wonder!
A ladybug! Whoa!!
A cool-looking rock! Whoa!!
A big stick! Whoa!!
Remember the fun of splashing in mud puddles! The joy of making paths through the dirt for little trucks and cars to drive on!
Remember making tunnels underneath the sheets when you were supposed to be going to sleep at night.
Remember pretending … inventing fabulous adventures!
There was no time! Time didn’t exist.
This right here is how God wants us to come to him!
God wants us to come to him with total abandon! God wants us to come to him with joyful enthusiasm so that we can’t help but run to him! We run into his arms!
We laugh with him!
We dance!
We skip! Hand-in-hand we skip along together!
And we sing!
We sing for him! We sing to him!
And he sings along with us!
We sing and don’t even worry how we sound. We sing loud! We sing our hearts out! The songs for Jesus can’t help but tumble out of us!
And the wonder! Just like the little-kid version of us, we are in awe and wonder of God!
Whoa – God is amazing!
Whoa – I can’t believe God loves me!
Whoa – did you see how God took care of me!
Whoa – did you see how God provided for me when I didn’t know what to do!
Whoa – that sunrise God made is absolutely stunning!
Whoa – that ocean is huge!
Whoa – those big billowing thunderclouds are something else!
We don’t worry about how we look, as we “splash through the mud puddles” doing what God has called us to do in this life.
We don’t worry about how we look after being “down in the dirt” doing what God has called us to do.
And people … they are God’s children too! They are our friends! There’s no reason to judge … or condemn … or criticize. We’re all in this together!
And time ceases to exist when we are in God’s presence. We get lost learning what he has for us … and time no longer exists.
This right here is what childlike faith looks like! This right here is what we were made for!
Pure joy!
Unhindered joy!
Boundless joy! And enthusiasm! For God and getting to do life together with him!
“People were bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” – Luke 18:15-17
“Shout for joy to the LORD … worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” – Psalm 100:1-2
“Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” – Psalm 100:3
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” – Psalm 100:4-5
