In 2006 I was stationed at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq with the 76th US Army Band. It was known among soldiers that deployment meant having an unreasonable amount of down time; you could get around to doing that one thing you had been meaning to. Some soldiers caught up on 10 seasons of a popular TV show, some hit the gym with a renewed commitment, some mastered the craft of dominating Halo 2, some learned a foreign language. One of the things I found opportunity to do was develop basic skills on Adobe Photoshop. My friend Bryan was a masterful photographer/photoshop artist and helped me out in this rudimentary endeavor. For my first project, I took an image of a calf from my grandmother’s farm in Santa Fe, Texas and placed it into a background picture of tents in Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
As you can see, I turned the cow blue….likely because I just wanted to see if I could. Whatever the reason, I sent the final doctored image to my youngest brother, Patrick, back home in the States. He was 6 and in first grade at the time. Being the caring older I’ve always been, I told him that all the cows in Iraq were blue because Saddam Hussein’s evil scientists had experimented so much with genetic manipulation.
I didn’t expect him to go for it as hard as he did.
Upon receiving my email, Patrick printed the image out and took it to school. He proceeded to brag to his friends and teachers about his supremely cool older brother and showed them all scientific, documented evidence of Iraqi blue cows. In the end, the amount of fun I had with the prank was outweighed by the humbling task of having to explain to him that it was a lie; I had forged it all with a computer.
I was moved in this instance by Patrick’s childlike innocence and eagerness to believe anything I told him (however incredible). Years later, I realized that God places a special value on this pure and naive mentality. See the following passages:
Matthew 18:1-5
In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Who then is greatest in the kingdom of the heavens?
And He called a little child to Him and stood him in their midst
And said, Truly I say to you, Unless you turn and become like little children, you shall by no means enter into the kingdom of the heavens.
He therefore who will humble himself like this little child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of the heavens.
And whoever receives one such little child because of My name, receives Me.Luke 18:15-17
And they were bringing to Him also their babies that He might touch them. But when the disciples saw this they rebuked them.
But Jesus called them to Him, saying, Allow the little children to come to Me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of God.
Truly I say to you, Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child shall by no means enter into it.
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of children is their quality of being a “blank slate.” For the most part, they realize that they don’t know very much and therefore approach you as an active sponge, waiting on and studying your every word or action. Most people experience this kind of innocent faith when they first come the Lord. But as time goes by, perhaps some might accidentally “grow out” of this. We should never graduate from being pure and simple before the Lord.
The phrases “enter into the kingdom of the heavens” and “receive the kingdom of God” can be applied to those who have not yet believed, yes; but they can also be applied to a Christian with many years in the Lord. Childlike simplicity does not end after initial salvation.
Jeremiah the prophet said that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). We never know what new mercy, grace, revelation, or enjoyment may come out of our contact with the Lord. If, in our love for Him, we come with a mind full of concepts, expectations or other baggage, we could miss something very valuable and sweet. Remember the Lord’s word concerning Mary, who sat at his feet:
Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went, (Jesus) entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her home.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to His word.
But Martha was being drawn about with much serving, and she came up to Him and said, Lord, does it not matter to You that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to do her part with me.
But the Lord answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things;
But there is need of one thing, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Mary was a wonderful lover of the Lord Jesus. She set an excellent example of loving the Lord with the proper simplicity. This is documented in several cases in the gospels. The Lord repeatedly referenced His impending crucifixion to the disciples, but their heads were too full of concepts, religion and “practical” matters to get the picture. Mary, however, listened and was able to anoint him with the costly ointment for His burial. As a result of her loving the Lord in the proper and simple way, she is mentioned wherever the gospel is proclaimed on the earth (Mark 14:9).
And Finally,
A HYMN ABOUT LOVING THE LORD IN A SIMPLE WAY:
- Simply loving everyday;
Loving through a stormy way,
Even when my faith is small,
Loving Jesus, that is all.
(Chorus)
Loving as the moments fly,
Loving as the days go by,
Loving Him whate’er befall,
Loving Jesus, that is all. - Brightly does His Spirit shine
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall,
Loving Jesus, that is all. - Singing if my way be clear,
Praying if the path be drear;
If in danger, for Him call,
Loving Jesus, that is all. - Loving Him while life shall last,
Loving Him till earth is past,
Till His gracious advent call,
Loving Jesus, that is all.