What does childlike faith look like?

For me, it often looks like giving myself the freedom to play and to stop worrying. It means taking an intentional Sabbath once a week, where I don't work because I trust that my Father is taking care of everything.

Spending time at home this summer, I am reminded how much parents do for their children. I go to bed trusting my parents will shut off the lights and lock the doors. I go through my days trusting the pantry will be filled and the laundry will magically appear clean and folded. I don't worry about paying bills or knowing the entire family's schedule. Granted, most of these things I now do on my own throughout the year, but I needed this summer to relearn dependence.

I have so much freedom in knowing that I can depend on my parents have things in the home under control. Even better than that is the fact that I can depend on my Heavenly Father to have everything under control. His love is not conditional, and it does not stop when I go to bed or fail to accomplish something on time. Too often I approach God as a self-sufficient, capable adult: expecting to be let down, needing to control things by myself, trying to reason with Him. It's foolish to say I reason with the God of the universe, but it's true! I think if I can just work one more hour, or organize and control one more relationship, then my life will be more complete. This is not childlike faith that trusts I am completely loved whether I am throwing a temper tantrum or bringing home straight A's.

At the heart of my lack of dependence and trust in God is doubt that He is truly the God of abundant goodness. I doubt that his love is unconditional, and that he desires to give me good things. As a result, I fail to dream.

Children dream huge, illogical things. Oftentimes parents cannot grant the wishes of their children due to lack of means, or for the children's best interest. God, too, acts in our best interest and thus we see some dreams go unfulfilled. But, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11). God holds nothing good back from us, and "has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). He is not limited by a lack of resources or love for us. In fact, he asks us to dream, and Jesus promises "whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:23-24).

Are you living like God is a Father of abundant goodness? Do you believe God can, and even desires, to give you good things?

God wants our hearts unapologetically. Dreams are so vulnerable, yet God lovingly asks His children to trust Him with our deepest desires. More than that, we are called to ask bold prayers of the Lord, and trust intentionally that He will deliver according to His good plan and timing. We are scared to ask things of the Lord because He might not answer the way we want; worse, He could say 'yes' and it might be too good to be true. Instead of investing our hearts and hopes in God's goodness, we guard them against the pain we imagine. We continue living in unbelief, sparking a cycle of shame which sucks up the freedom to dream, desire and want. Instead of sharing our dreams, we say "not my will but Yours," and think the ball is in God's court.

One, the ball is always in God's court. Two, He invites us to partner with Him in the dreaming process, which requires we tell Him our desires. Of course He knows them, but as children we keep asking in faith for the things we deeply care for. When we don't proclaim our hopes and dreams boldly, we try to divorce our hearts and act like we aren't truly invested in our desires. It's like asking God to steer and resenting where He might take us, rather than asking our good Father to steer us to a destination we really want to see. Too often we want transaction with God, not relationship in which we trust and depend on Him to give us what is best. It requires childlike faith in our Father's good heart towards us to ask Him for the things we deeply desire, be honest about how much we really want them, and only then humbly declare "not my will but Yours alone."

Faith is risky: we can never know the outcome of our questions asked in faith. We don't know what our futures hold, or how our dreams will be answered. But we know our good Father hears us, holds our dreams with loving hands, and is working all things for good for those who trust in Him (Romans 8:28). We know that God has proven Himself faithful over and over throughout history and in our own lives. We know that God is calling us to dream with Him; to ask boldly and trust intentionally that our Father will deliver good gifts. Here's to dreaming like children!