Faith and Trust to Grow - Part 3

Children love to explore. Discovery and learning is a never-ending process that begins in infancy. Parents can interfere with the initiative to explore and learn by an overly-protective attitude or by harsh restrictions. Children must have boundaries and safe areas to explore, but as growth and learning take place, more freedom is needed to explore.

Change is anchored around the initiative to explore alternatives to whatever opportunities or problems life presents. Children have a natural, inborn faith to seek out that which is beyond their present knowledge and skills. Learning is the pathway to change. Jesus told the disciples to let the little children come and learn of him.

A child will eagerly take the initiative to come to God because of basic trust. Do you have an eagerness to explore and learn from Jesus? Listen to his invitation. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Jesus is the firm foundation for building faith, hope and trust. 

Faith and Trust to Grow - Part 2

Children need to believe they are special in ways that make them feel unique, but not totally set apart from others. They need recognition and acceptance that confirm they're loved and appreciated. God created us for a significant purpose so our lives would not linger under a cloud of shame and doubt. Shame and doubt's message is that you're flawed and inadequate.

Dominant feelings of shame and doubt are like shackles and chains that bind us to mediocrity and non-productivity. The opposite of shame and doubt is faith. John Wesley's friend, Peter Buhler, told him to "Live by faith until you have faith." Someone else proclaimed, "Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see."

God has put faith in your heart and soul to give you confidence. So focus on that speck of faith rather than the mountain of shame and doubt. Permit yourself to want faith. Believe that God desires to give you faith enough to change. Be willing to fight the good fight of faith. These decisions produce positive change blessed by God. 

Faith and Trust to Grow - Part 1

Every parent can remember the transition their infant made from being helpless and dependent to being a toddler demanding independence and self-governing. Toddlers learn to express displeasure loudly with the word no, which is indicative of approaching self-reliance and making personal choices. This move toward independence is a God-given drive.

Making choices for becoming an autonomous, independent person can be observed throughout each stage of life. It's based on trust that begins in infancy. Reluctance by parents to let their toddler move normally toward independence hinders the development of self-confidence that encourages separation and learning responsibility.

God intended for each person to be confident and independent so we could go forward and discover our place in his world. St. Paul said, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." God created you to be a normal, unique individual capable of achieving the purpose he intended for you.