~ written by Connie Dunmyer
When we come to Christ, we are “born again”, and thus we are considered “babes in Christ”.
Like a child, we are learning to walk and talk and dress and act like a Christian. We fall down and make mistakes, but we are learning and growing.
In Paul’s letters to the churches, he often speaks about “growing up in Christ” or becoming “mature”. And to be sure, I have often found myself frustrated at how immature I am some days in my walk with Christ.
Then the other day it occurred to me that I may well be looking at this “maturity” backwards. I have been looking at my “growing up in Christ” in human terms (1 Peter 2:2). For instance, if am a “grown up” Christian, then I will have a more complete understanding. I will know the answers. And Jesus won’t need to “tend to me” or “convict” me all that often. I will be more independent in my walk. I might even think that I don’t even need to read the Bible as often because I have heard it so often.
But my impression of what this means is backwards.
While it is true that I gain more and more understanding as I read God’s Word, and I most assuredly need it daily. Real “maturity” is less about what I know, and more about how utterly dependent I become.
When a baby is born, that baby is utterly dependent. He or she is defenseless on their own. They require an adult to feed, clothe, bathe, and nurture them. And somehow, some way, that dependence is now my goal – the thing I work toward.
It occurs to me that the older I get, and the longer I spend time in this Christian-walk – I am becoming more and more and more childlike. I am becoming less “independent” and much more “dependent”. I am in many ways, becoming more childlike, and less adultish.
I am utterly dependent upon God to feed me – both physically and spiritually. I am utterly dependent upon Jesus to bathe me – to clean up every dirty spot He finds upon me. I am completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit for my nurturing as He leads me through His Word and through this life – preparing me for the next. (I wonder, what “age” will we all be when we get to heaven? I have a feeling, we will be like children.)
I can do none of these things for myself. Oh I have tried. In my “human idea of maturity”, I walked the line, worn the clothes, said the words, and even believed all these things in my heart as much as I could understand. But each and every time, I have fallen. I have failed. I did not see it as failing at the time. I thought I was right. I thought I was “mature”. Maybe I was. But Jesus is calling me to something else. Something better.
Jesus said: “become like little children”. He said it for a reason, and meant it. I don’t think it was a throw-away line or something cute.
Matthew 18:1-4
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children [yeladim], you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Change and Become.
I think the “change” happens when we come to Christ for salvation. He changes us on the inside. No amount of head knowledge will ever help a person figure it out or explain it. He simply changes us.
But this word “Become”. That sounds like a process to me. It takes time. And it even takes energy. He doesn’t say become like these older, scholarly people. He says “become like little children.” Not youth or young married couples. Not teenagers. Not even older children. Become like a little child.
The Hebrew word for little children is “Yeladim”. In particular it’s used for young children, ages 2-5.
Let’s consider some things about the yeladim. At birth, the average baby’s brain is about a quarter the size of the average adult brain. Incredibly, it doubles in size in the first year. It keeps growing to about 80% of adult size by age 3 and 90% – nearly fully grown – by age 5. A baby’s brain is hard at work, forming over 1 million new neural connections per second. This simply does not happen in adulthood. So much growth happens in young childhood.
So if I should actually “grow” backwards, what are some things I can learn from children?
Carefree & Trust. A young child does not worry. They simply expect food, lodging and all their needs to be provided. I want to become carefree in my expectation of Jesus providing for all my needs. I long to leave worry behind and grow into being more carefree, trusting Him in ALL situations.
Sleep / Rest. Young children can sleep anywhere. I mean ANYwhere. And frankly in any position. They may reject the idea of going to sleep, but when they fall asleep, they are the picture of peace. Oh how I long to sleep in that sort of peace. To be so at rest in the arms of the Savior, that I can sleep in ANY situation. Jesus is working with me on that.
Humble. Children know they are small, admit to weaknesses and ask for help from adults. Pride creeps into adults, sometimes without realizing it. I hope I can be humble enough to admit to my failures and ask for help, not only from God, but from His people.
Constant Learning. Learning comes natural to a child. They learn by watching. They learn by doing. They watch and mimic and emulate adults. Children ask LOTS of questions. The last 5 years I have leaned into learning. I question everything I ever learned before and am endeavoring to “test all things”. I read the Word with the idea of learning more of God’s heart and His goals for my life.
Love. There is no more pure love than a child to a parent. Child-hugs will soften even the most hardened soul. Love is a feeling, but love is an action. Love includes forgiveness, which is something Jesus and I have worked on significantly.
Empathy. I’m sure you’ve noticed that when one baby cries, it’s not long before all babies within earshot are crying. I am an empathetic person. But I think I can do better at crying with others.
A Sense of Wow! Life is full of wow-moments for a child. Everything is new. Everything is amazing. Everything is full of wonder. Albert Einstein said: "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." I choose Wow!
I choose to grow up in Christ by growing backwards.
Find More "Yield" Articles | Get Future "Yield" Delivered to Your Inbox
© 2026: Connie F. Dunmyer, All Rights Reserved.