Did you ever play “King of the Hill” as a child? Growing up in rural Idaho, you can probably imagine how savage we could get over a pile of dirt on a construction site we should not have been on in the first place. And yet, some of us never really grow out of the need to be king over our little pile of dirt in this short life.
James says, “…for what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14b; also see Proverbs 27:1-2) We seek power and riches to control our little corner of creation, but to what end? We are not taking anything with us. Paul tells Timothy, “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” (1 Timothy 6:7, also see Psalm 49:17; Job 1:21; Ecclesiastes 5:15)
Well, the disciples of Jesus were known for arguing over who would be the greatest in His Kingdom time and time again. They wanted to know who was going to be the “vice-messiah.” Their version of a spiritual “King of the Hill.” Jesus, seeking to help the guys understand what being the greatest looks like, sets a child among them and says, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3–4)
So, what is it to have faith as a child? Childlike faith requires innocence and humility, not the savagery we see in so many today. A selfless, deep love for others in the place of the brutality of words and actions that is so common today. Do we seek to love with childlike abandon? Are we innocent of evil as we seek to be faithful to Christ? Do we trust the Lord as our good and gracious Father? Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” So maybe it is time for us to surrender our piles of dirt and humbly trust God, for He loves us.