“Rachel, look! A DUCK!” I heard six-year-old Sawyer call out in a giddy voice. Strangers nearby likely assumed Sawyer had never seen a duck before, though it was actually one of many he had seen that day.

As a nanny, I have watched countless adults smile knowingly at the two children I care for, as if to imply that they understand all children. Sometimes, their glances carry a sense of condescension; they view these children as naïve and unaware of how life really is. It’s as if they’re saying, “They sure are cute, but how little they know.” Ironically, I have learned more from these “naïve” kids than I could teach them in four months as their nanny.

Jesus tells us that childlikeness is a prerequisite for drawing near to God: “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 is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3–4).

This Sunday, notice the children around you at church for more than their bright smiles and tiny outfits. See their authenticity, their imitation, and their sense of wonder, and ask God to teach you how to worship him like a child.

Without Walls

Adults are skilled wall builders. Difficult morning at home? Mask your stress with a smile. Fight with a friend on the way to church? Suppress the hurt before walking through the doors.

Sometimes, a family’s morning shows most clearly on their children’s faces. Most children have not developed the ability to build walls. They wear their emotions on their sleeves, and if there is any uncertainty about how they are feeling, they will likely tell you outright if asked. They are authentic.

How many times have I approached the throne of grace with protective walls built around my heart? More times than I know. Corporate worship is a time for authentic vulnerability before God and others. We must come as we are, not fearing judgmental glances from others in the pew, but looking together to our gracious Savior. To Jesus, our walls are paper thin anyway: “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).

As our walls come down with repentance, we are vulnerable and dependent, like crying infants unashamedly relying on their mother. No longer resting on our self-sufficiency, we cling to an all-sufficient God, knowing that apart from him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Little Followers

A friend of mine grew up watching his father work long hours at the church he attended. He was responsible for the upkeep of the building, and as a child, my friend did not understand that it was a blue-collar job. Untainted by the world’s definition of success, he saw his father as he was — a man with great integrity and a servant’s heart. He wanted to have the same job when he grew up.

We must ask for a childlike understanding of our heavenly Father. The glittering temptations of this world often hinder our ability to see him as he is. When we see sons and daughters looking up to their dads this Sunday morning, their admiration should remind us that God made us to know and imitate him.

We must be like children, because we are children. We must look to our strong Father as children fixated on becoming just like him when we grow up. Ephesians 5:1 calls us to “Be imitators of God, as beloved children.” He will tenderly and patiently teach us his ways (Psalm 25:4–5).

A Sense of Wonder

Nothing lights up a baby’s eyes more than when they land on Mommy or Daddy. In the same way, nothing should captivate my gaze more than my Father; he must fill me with wonder more than anything else.

As we grow up and see screens in every direction, our gaze of wonder is often replaced with a dull glaze. Distracted by illusions, we who were once wonder-eyed children lose the ability to view the world with a sense of awe.

Corporate worship is a weekly reminder to behold Christ with fresh, undistracted eyes — to keep our vision of him clear and bright. This is exactly what the apostle Paul says we need. He writes, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

We need God to remove the veils from our faces that prevent us from seeing his glory — and thereby prevent us from being transformed. When we hear glorious truths heralded from the pulpit on Sunday, may we see Christ, and like a child beholding something truly wonderful, may our hearts light up as we take in God’s beauty.

This week, may the children in your church remind you that being small can be extremely great. Like our Lord Jesus, let’s invite children to draw near, and in their nearness, let’s remember what it takes to truly be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.