Childlike faith is a simple, trusting confidence in God. It’s similar to the kind a young child naturally has toward a loving parent. It means believing for the best without suspicion, cynicism, or fear. It is not naive, and it is not childish. Instead, it is choosing to trust the goodness of God’s plans, even on the days when life hands you every reason not to.

I named this entire blog after that idea, so let me explain its origin, what it is not, what it looks like in practice, and why I believe it is worthy to be a priority and pursuit in my life.

Where the idea comes from

Did you know that you won’t find the exact words of “childlike faith” in most Bibles? What you will find is Jesus pointing at an actual child and saying something that stopped his followers in their tracks.

In Matthew 18:3, when his disciples were busy arguing about who among them was the greatest, Jesus told them, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” He said something similar in Mark 10:15 and Luke 18:17, that anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

The context here is really important. The disciples were measuring status and ranking themselves (I guess we all tend to do that, unfortunately). Jesus set a child in front of them as the example. Not a political leader. Not a superstar athlete. A child. This is part of his upside-down kingdom. When we might think being “adultlike” has the most value and importance, Jesus shows us the opposite.

Childlike is not the same as “childish”

These words are not synonymous. I think it’s useful to understand the differences to make sure we recognize what Jesus was actually asking of us, and what He was not.

Childish faith refuses to grow up. It is lazy, weak-willed, and self-centered. The New Testament writers actually warn against it. In 1 Corinthians 14:20, Paul told the Corinthians to stop thinking like children and to grow into maturity.

Childlike faith, though, is the opposite. It is not immaturity; it is a particular kind of strength. It holds onto the smallness, dependence, and honesty of a child while still growing wiser and deeper over the years. You can be a fully grown, thoughtful adult and still come to God with the open heart and open hands of a four-year-old. That is actually the entire point.

Childlike faith is not blind faith

Some people may assume that childlike faith means you never ask hard questions, never wrestle, and never doubt. However, think about when you’ve spent a number of hours together with a young child. What do you remember from it? Did they ask a ton of questions? Why this…why that…why…why…why. Sometimes (at least in my own household) it feels nonstop! But here’s the point – curiosity is one of the most childlike things there is. So a faith that asks a lot of questions is not less childlike. In fact, it might be more.

I have had plenty of seasons of doubt and struggle (as you’ll read about on this site). I have prayed prayers that felt like they hit the ceiling and bounced back. Childlike faith is not incongruent with those seasons. What I tried to do was bring my questions to God the same way a kid climbs into a parent’s lap and talks about whatever is bothering him, trusting that the parent will love him no matter what, can handle it, and has some kind of solution. Doubt and childlike faith are not enemies. Cynicism and a hardened heart are the enemy.

What childlike faith looks like in real life

For me, it usually shows up first as wonder.

When my kids were born, I remember staring at their tiny hands and toes and being wrecked with gratitude. I held them a lot, and so that gave me time to pause and stare at their beautiful features. I noticed the small details. I let my heart swell. That kind of attention, that refusal to rush past the ordinary, is also what childlike faith looks like. Children have not yet learned to be bored by a beautiful thing.

It also shows up as trust when trust is hard. I live in South Florida, where every fall brings hurricane season and the annual reminder that trouble could be headed my way. Childlike faith does not pretend the storm is not real. It just refuses to let the fear take over. It believes that a good Father is still holding everything together, even the parts I cannot see.

And it shows up as boldness. A child who trusts you will ask you for the moon without a hint of embarrassment. They expect good things because they believe you are good. That is exactly how Jesus described the Father in Matthew 7:11. He explained that if flawed human parents know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will God give good things to those who ask him.

My favorite picture of childlike faith

There is a short story in Acts 14:8-19 that I often think about. Paul is preaching, and there is a man in the crowd who has never been able to walk. Paul looks right at him and notices something. He sees that this man has the faith to be healed. So he tells him to stand up.

And the man does not just stand up. He jumps up. He leaps to his feet and starts walking around as if he had been walking his whole life.

I love that so much. It was not cautious. It was not tentative, or half-hearted, or laden with skepticism. He did not worry about falling back down, or what the crowd would think, or whether they would laugh at him. He just jumped. That is childlike faith in full effect. It fills you from head to toe, and it moves you to act, because it is rooted in a decisive trust that God is good and God is able.

That is how I want to live. That is what I want to be remembered for.

Why is childlike faith harder as we get older?

If childlike faith is so awesome, why is it so rare in adults? Because life slowly wears it out of us.

Over the years, we collect disappointments, wounds, and scars. We get hurt, betrayed, and embarrassed. And as a result, we build a shell, some sort of hard exterior that can protect us. I know I did. For most of my life I have run on a private rule that says: be strong, be capable, come through for everyone, and never let yourself look weak or needy. It helped me survive some hard seasons. But It also made me guarded, and it made it hard for the people who love me to actually love me well.

That guardedness is the opposite of childlike faith. A child is not busy protecting an image or managing a reputation. A child is free. A child is unguarded. Getting to a place where you gain some of that freedom back as a grown adult is slow, hard work. But I am convinced it is the work most worth doing.

How to grow your childlike faith

I do not have a formula, and I would not trust anyone who claimed to. But I do have a few tips that have helped me.

Try to sit still and notice. Take a few minutes each day, before you get up from your breakfast coffee and tea, or while you walk into or out of your workplace, to look at the small things and give thanks for them. Wonder is a muscle. It grows when you use it.

Bring God the real stuff. The doubts, the fears, the requests you feel a little silly asking for. Childlike faith is honest before it is anything else. And He can handle it.

Watch actual children if you have any nearby. They worship without self-consciousness. They forgive fast. They believe good things are possible. They ask for what they want without a trace of embarrassment.

And keep coming back. You will lose the posture of childlike faith again and again. It happens to me too. The point is not to hold it perfectly. The point is to keep returning to it, the way a kid runs back to a parent, as many times as it takes.

Join me on the journey of living with childlike faith!

This idea is the heartbeat of everything I write here. If it resonates with you, you might like my favorite story of childlike faith, or these reflections on seeing the world with fresh eyes. You might also enjoy the childhood moments I miss the most, or this one on the most beautiful sight you have ever seen. Leave a comment, write me directly, or consider joining my list so you can get a quick update when I post something new. No pressure; I just know life is better when we can learn from, and be inspired by, each other.

Common Questions

What is childlike faith?

Childlike faith is a simple, trusting confidence in God, the kind a young child naturally has toward a loving parent. It means believing for the best without suspicion, cynicism, or fear, and choosing to trust the goodness of God’s plans even on the days when life hands you every reason not to.

Is childlike faith in the Bible?

You will not find the exact words in most Bibles, but the idea comes straight from Jesus. In Matthew 18:3, Mark 10:15, and Luke 18:17, while his disciples argued about who was greatest, he set a child in front of them and said we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of God.

What is the difference between childlike faith and childish faith?

Childish faith refuses to grow up. It is lazy, weak-willed, and self-centered, and Paul warns against it in 1 Corinthians 14:20. Childlike faith is the opposite. It is a particular kind of strength that keeps the smallness, dependence, and honesty of a child while still growing wiser and deeper over the years.

Does childlike faith mean you cannot have questions or doubts?

No. Children ask why about everything, so curiosity is one of the most childlike things there is. A faith that asks a lot of questions is not less childlike; it may be more. Doubt and childlike faith are not enemies. Cynicism and a hardened heart are the enemy.

How do I grow a more childlike faith?

Sit still and notice the small things each day, because wonder is a muscle that grows when you use it. Bring God the real stuff, the doubts, the fears, and the requests you feel a little silly asking for. Watch how actual children trust, forgive, and ask without embarrassment. And keep coming back every time you lose the posture, the way a kid runs back to a parent.

Why is childlike faith harder as we get older?

Because life slowly wears it out of us. Over the years we collect disappointments, wounds, and scars, and we build a hard shell to protect ourselves. That guardedness is the opposite of childlike faith. A child is not busy protecting an image or managing a reputation. A child is free. Getting some of that freedom back as an adult is slow, hard work, but it is the work most worth doing.

Part of: Trusting God Through Hard Times