This past week brought an unexpected treat: snow in Montgomery. Such a sight is rare here, and it hasn’t happened in this magnitude since I’ve been a student at Faulkner. I hope you were able to enjoy it—or at least appreciate a couple of unexpected days at home away from school or work. While snowfall might be uncommon in Montgomery, back home, I used to experience snow at least once a year. Going outside in the snow this week felt both refreshing and nostalgic. It brought back memories of playing freeze football, building snowmen, and having snowball fights with friends. Though I am still quite young, that day made me feel like a kid again.
As I reflected on this experience, I was reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:3: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. What does it mean to become like a child? Certainly, Jesus wasn’t advocating for immaturity or irresponsibility. Instead, He pointed to the qualities of children that reflect the heart of discipleship: their humility, dependence, and trust.
Children possess an awe-inspiring ability to trust wholeheartedly. They depend on others for their needs without shame, believing that they will be cared for. Likewise, Jesus calls us to trust in God’s provision and to approach Him with the same humility and reliance, recognizing that we cannot save ourselves.
While Jesus invites us to embody childlike faith, Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways”. Paul’s point is clear: while we embrace certain childlike qualities, we must also mature in our faith, growing in wisdom, understanding, and responsibility. Childlike faith is not the same as childishness. The former is marked by following God and a willingness to trust Him completely. The latter, however, involves self-centeredness, impulsivity, and an unwillingness to grow. As we walk with Christ, we’re called to balance these truths: to maintain the wonder and trust of a child while continually maturing in Christlike character.
Jake Bailey
Dalraida church of Christ is a congregation of Christians that meet in the mid-town area of Montgomery, Alabama. Our goal and purpose is to seek and follow God and His Word in everything that we do in life.