I am guessing most people will agree that when you believe in something sincerely and with your whole heart, you don’t feel shame in believing it. Much of the time, your sense of security in whatever this belief happens to be is grounded in the fact that you think it is “right.”

Now, before you began throwing philosophical perspectives in my direction, claiming that both “right” and “wrong” are cultural “constructs” or similar ideas, I shall assure you that I am speaking about people in general, most of whom have little interest in perusing books by philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, or Friedrich Nietzsche with their morning cup of java.

Let’s think, for a moment, of a child who believes in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. Have you ever come across one who seemed ashamed to share his or her belief with you?

If you’ve encountered children anything like the ones I have, they are bubbling over with excitement over the thoughts of Santa coming to town or the Easter bunny bringing goodies in a basket.

Their enthusiasm for “beings” that are not real and, rather, the fanciful concoctions of a combination of myths, fairy-tales, and other stories is so genuine that it is often contagious.

Yet, adults, specifically those who claim to be Christians, seem to demonstrate the opposite behavior when it comes to the Savior they say they believe in. Rather than wanting to tell everybody about Him and what He’s done for them in their own lives, they hesitate to even speak about their faith and, much of the time, one wouldn’t be able to tell one bit of difference between them and someone with no religion at all.

Perhaps, there is something I’m overlooking about this, and maybe there is some very sensible explanation. Could not talking about one’s faith be part of the new trendy term called “adulting?”

And, if so, might this be why God has placed such an importance in those who come to Him having childlike faith?

Please do understand that I am no expert on the subject of faith nor do I claim to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way to share my faith.

However, I am trying to understand this seeming contradiction between being a Christian and feeling that one has made the best possible choice in this respect and yet simultaneously not wanting to tell other people about it. Surely, there is some key element in this equation that I am missing.

Now, as for me, because it took decades for me to finally acknowledge my own weakness and insufficiency to the point that I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, I am eager to share my journey. For, you see, in doing so, I’m hoping I can spare others some of the pain, suffering, and utter despair I have endured from not making this choice sooner.

You can think I’m being dramatic if you like and you can also imagine I’m saying whatever needs to be said in order to convert others to my way of thinking, but that’s simply not so.

It isn’t my job to convert you, and, even if I wanted to, accepting Jesus as your Savior is something an individual must do on his or her own – or not. I won’t go into a detailed discussion about how we all have Free Will, but we have been given the freedom to choose. “By whom?, ” you may ask. Well, if you don’t believe in any sort of Higher Power, I’m not sure what conclusion you can come up with that’s the least bit logical. If you do believe in a God of any kind, then you can credit Him (or Her if you wish to go that route) with giving you Free Will.

However, let me get back to the main subject I am addressing rather than getting diverted by the Free Will debate, which will probably go on until time in this earth ends.

Might it be that God, when speaking of one needing to have the faith of little children, was anticipating how difficult it would be for those sober oh-so-grown-up professing Christians to eagerly share their faith with others? After all, it is Jesus who calls the children to Him in the Gospel of Luke (18:16-17), saying, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

As God is omniscient, I am guessing He knew precisely the type of meek attitude and childlike spirit that would be required for a Christian to embrace Him and their faith with assurance and confidence rather than with silence and shame.

That being said, unless those of us who say we love and believe in Him are willing and able to channel that little girl or little boy in ourselves and share what He’s done for us with childlike awe, we will forever be like lamps that choose to remain unlit.

Peace & Blessings,

Sascha 🕊

This page and all written material at A Pilgrim’s Odyssey is written by Sascha Norris. (C) Copyright 2023-2024 by Sascha Norris. All Rights Reserved.

(Painting is “Secret Promise” by Japanese artist Shiori Matsumoto)