And He said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 18:3
Do you remember when you were a child? Children for the most part are carefree and unaffected by life’s worries. They dream big and are sure their dreams will become a reality. Then somewhere between childhood and adulthood something shifts. We become busy, serious, worried, and a lot less confident that our dreams will ever amount to anything.
You may no longer be a child but here are five qualities of children we should still embrace as adults to help us reach our dreams.
Imagination
“Your imagination is like your spiritual womb. It’s your creative center…. Imagination is powerful. It is the first step in doing. If you can imagine something, you can do it.” – Andrew Wommack, The Power of Imagination
How many hours a day did you spend “imagining” as a child? I know for me I would spend countless hours drawing my future. I imagined what my dream house would look like, how many children I would have, etc. Kids have been recorded to spending as much as two-thirds of their time “playing pretend.” Imagination though is not something just for children. It is a Biblical principle.
… and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do… - Genesis 11:6
We shouldn’t stop imagining just because we grow older. We should dream even bigger and use our imagination as the first step to seeing that dream become a reality.
In a survey of small business owners, seventy-six percent that had visualized their future business said their business was now where they had envisioned it. That is the power of imagination.
Fearlessness
Have you ever watched children playing at the park? If a child hasn’t been told to be afraid they have zero fear. They jump off the monkey bars with no worry of hurting themselves.
Over time, circumstances condition us to be more cautious and careful. Yet the Bible says, “The righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)
Fear is based on a lie. I’ve heard it been said before that the enemy’s only power is to deceive us. If he can keep us in deception he can keep us from our dreams.
Do what it is you are afraid of and you will find fear has no legs to stand on. I’ve always loved performing in front of audiences but I also used to be afraid to do it. This fear was based on a lie – rejection (Yes, people can and do reject us but rejection is ultimately a lie because we have already been accepted in Christ). As I continued to do it anyways, I realized there was nothing to be afraid of.
Curiosity
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity leads us down new paths.” – Walt Disney
Growing up, I would repeatedly ask my mother, “Why?” I was full of curiosity. Children are constantly learning about their surroundings and part of this process is they are curious about everything and anything.
Curiosity as an adult can help us discover our passions. As we try new things and embark into new places we find what we enjoy and what we don’t enjoy. Curiosity allows us to make new discoveries and it helps us to venture into the unknown.
Joy
Children are full of joy. Some might say it’s because their circumstances are positive but joy is something we should experience consistently regardless of our circumstances. Joy is a fruit of the spirit.
The joy of the Lord is our strength. – Nehemiah 8:10
The word for strength here is the Hebrew word ma`owz which means a place of safety or protection, a fortress. God’s type of joy should literally be a fortress for us from the world’s problems.
There might be a lot of things on your path that could discourage you but don’t lose heart.
A merry heart does good, like medicine. – Proverbs 17:22
Operating from a place of joy will keep you strong and healthy so you can continue to run your race well.
Wonder
“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you." - Habakkuk 1:5
The word for “utterly astounded” is tamahh and another translation is wonder. God wants us to live lives of wonder and for people to wonder at the goodness of our lives so they are pointed to Christ.
This is one thing I love observing in children. Their eyes light up when they see the world around them. It could be an ant on the sidewalk or Disney World; children never cease to be amazed at all the world offers.
If you’ve been feeling stressed lately take a moment to view the world from the eyes of child. Trust God that good things are right around the corner.
In the pursuit of your dreams, don’t worry if you exhibit child-like qualities. It might be the very thing you need to get there.