The importance of childlike faith
To get straight to the point, God desires that we believe in Him through faith. In fact, He wants us to believe with a childlike faith. This isn’t just what God desires from us, it’s what He requires of us. Consider what Jesus said about this:
Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.
Mark 10:15
This tells us that our salvation must be the result of coming to God with childlike faith.
Having childlike faith requires that we humble ourselves and trust God’s word over our own inferior intellect. But doing so results in a great reward.
Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:4
The good news is that, in addition to having the inspired word of God to teach us of God’s existence, we also have the evidence of God’s creation. We find proof of His intelligent design all around us… in the world, in the universe, and in everything God has placed in it.
Intelligent design requires an intelligent designer.
Having childlike faith doesn’t necessarily mean we have to turn off our brains and not be thinking about whether or not there’s proof that God exists. But if you’re an atheist, agnostic, or just a doubting Thomas, it would be beneficial for you to suspend your disbelief long enough to sincerely ask God to reveal Himself to you.
One of the smartest men of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, was often wrongly accused of being an atheist. But his own words refute that claim:
“I’m not an atheist,” added Einstein. “The problem involved is too vast for our limited minds. We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangement of the books but doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see the universe marvelously arranged and obeying certain laws but only dimly understand these laws.”
In other words, Einstein was saying that even the smartest people know that intelligence is designed into our universe that didn’t just happen by chance. He also said, “The more I study science, the more I believe in God”.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t intelligent people, even geniuses, who refuse to credit an intelligent designer with His creation. There have been many of them over the course of history. I believe those who think that way either have decided in their heart to hate God or have been blinded by an evil spirit. There’s just too much proof of an intelligent designer for me to believe our world and universe could have happened by random chance.
Still, some people choose to continue in their disbelief, and for various reasons. But if they continue to reject God, they will be without excuse on the day of judgment.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Romans 1:20-21
Perhaps you’re not at the extreme end of the spectrum with the atheists and agnostics but you haven’t yet come to the point of putting your faith in God. Perhaps you can relate to the man who cried out to Jesus “I believe; help my unbelief!” (See Mark 9:24). Maybe you’ve put your faith in God but you find that your faith wains at times. Most of us go through times when our faith grows stronger and times when it decreases, letting doubts creep in. But if your faith in God is a true saving faith, then it will be a faith that grows over time.
We’re not to remain childlike in our faith
Although God requires us to come to Him with childlike faith, we are not to remain as children. We are expected to grow in the knowledge of His word and mature in wisdom so that we can learn to be obedient and become more and more like Jesus.
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.
1 Corinthians 14:20
The Apostle Paul chastised the Hebrews for not growing in their faith. After all, if you don’t grow, how can you help others?
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
Hebrews 5:12-13
Parting thoughts
Friends, if you haven’t put your faith in Jesus Christ, do it today. If you find yourself in a time of decreasing faith and doubt, pray about it and dig into God’s word. You’ll often find encouragement and many times the answers you’re looking for in His holy book because our God speaks to us through His word, the holy bible. The more you spend time in God’s word and with Him in prayer, the closer your relationship will be with Him and the stronger your faith will become.
May God strengthen your faith as you seek after Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
God bless,
Dan