So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13
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.
I Corinthians 13:11
The words “childish” and “childlike” have different meanings. “Childish” refers to immature things that children do, like throw a tantrum when they don’t get their way. Other examples of childish behavior include not taking turns, cutting the line, bullying, taking things without asking, and impulsive behavior. All adults act “childish” at times, and many of our sins result from acting childish.
Here are some examples of things that are childlike:
~Easiness to forgive. It is not uncommon to see two kids get into a fight on the playground and five minutes later they are playing like they are best friends, the fight all but forgotten. Children do not hold grudges the way adults do.
~Resilience. Children get over loss and failure more quickly than adults. Again, it is not uncommon for a child to suffer some kind of loss and five minutes later laugh and play again.
~Enjoy playing games. Children love to play. They find enjoyment in board games, sports games, anything competitive. And the focus isn’t always on winning, just on having fun and playing.
~Emphasis on fun. Regarding fun, children like having it. They like laughing and being silly.
~Curiosity. Children have a natural curiosity about things. It’s like the whole world is at their fingertip, anything is possible.
~Dream big. Children daydream about things. Some of those things won’t come true, as every boy will not be a baseball player and every girl won’t be a ballerina. But there is a lot of healthy dreaming.
~Easy to trust. Children trust more easily than adults. They are more open about feelings.
~Creativity. Children like to create, whether it is a painting or a new game. Their imagination leads to innovation. They are also creative problem solvers.
~Trying new things. Curiosity allows them to try new things and take risks (sometimes those risks aren’t smart, however).
~Persistence. Children have a “can do” attitude. They persist until something is completed and when they think they won’t succeed or if they are told they can’t succeed, they try to find another way to do something.
~Commitment. Children stick to things they really like, whether it is a sport or a video game, the things they like become things that are committed to.
Of course, children take some of these things to unhealthy levels, but generally, these childlike behaviors are good. These are things that we should mimic as adults. We should strive to be easy to forgive and be resilient. Playing games, laughing and having fun are things we don’t do enough of. We should still be curious, dream, trust and be creative. We shouldn’t be afraid to try new things; we should be persistent and follow through on commitments.
Most important, as concerns love, we should have childlike love, love that is innocent and pure, that forgives quickly and is optimistic. In Matthew 18:3-4, Jesus says “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
St. Paul does not tell us to not be like a child, but to give up childish ways. There is a certain immaturity that children have, in speaking, thinking and reasoning. There isn’t maturity in speech, complexity in thought, or depth in reasoning. We’ve all made the observation of someone who is fifty and acts like they are five, perhaps in speech, thought, reasoning and overall maturity. We all act childish, at least every once in a while. We’ve also heard the phrase “act your age,” and St. Paul is telling us the same. It is good to bring the childlike innocence and resilience to old age, but the childish things we did when we were younger are things we should mature past. As concerns love, we can’t really express love when we act childish, because childish behavior is selfish, and love is a divesting of self to project caring onto someone else. Childlike love is a love that is quick to forgive and moves past difference so we can have fun again.
It is important in our churches that we offer childlike, wholesome things, even for our adults. A game night, a campfire, a beach day, these are things that can benefit adults, just as much as they benefit children.
Lord, please forgive me when I act childish. Help me to put away childish behavior and focus on being childlike, especially when it comes to love. Help me to be easy to forgive, resilient when facing a setback, mature in speaking, thinking and reasoning. Help me to find opportunities for fun in my life. Help me to embrace the good things of childhood throughout my adult life. May I encourage others to do the same. Amen.
We can all work to stop being childish, and we should also work to retain childlike experiences even in adulthood.
