"Trust Like A Child"

Written by Rob Bailes

But why do children trust?

When I was a child, I had a very special physical attribute! I was always the smallest guy on the team. You could always look for the shortest little blond haired guy in the picture and that was sure to be me!(8th grade soccer-second from the left)

I remember the girls thinking it made me cute to be so small but I didn't think that at all. I really just wanted to be accepted by all the guys on the team. I used to try anything anyone told me to do that might add an inch or two to my height. What I came to realize was that there wasn't anything that I could do to change the way I was made and it was so hard for me to accept that in my youth. Inside of me there was a spirit that wanted to play and compete in sports! I loved competing and I was pretty fast too. Well, I always got picked last or was on the second string.

But one day my father recognized something that was holding me back in try outs for soccer in my eighth grade year. He saw that I had the desire but I didn't have the confidence in myself. My father took some time from his busy schedule to sit down and talk with me about my abilities and my strong points and I heard what he said. The problem was that I kept hearing a word pop up in my mind every time he said something. "BUT!" Every time he said something I would think, "BUT I am too short!"

Then the day came when, being my father, he understood my predicament and saw how incapable I felt based on my size. So he tried talking to me about how I felt; something that only someone who is close and trustworthy can successfully do to help us.
He told me that he believed in me! He told me that he knew I could do whatever I wanted to do and that no one could stop me! He told me that he believed I could play and become a first string player on the high school soccer team or any sport that I decided to play. It was then, my friend, that I trusted my dad's confidence in me! No longer would I be playing on my own confidence, but rather on his confidence in my abilities and I saw myself through his eyes instead of mine. Guess what else happened; I began to see those other guys that I was competing with through his eyes too! Yes sir! They no longer looked like giants, but instead I saw their weak points and not their size and used it to win the game. When all of this started happening, the next thing I saw was that the team celebrated with me and I felt like a team member! I went on to play baseball and lettered my junior and senior years in soccer and baseball. Even more amazing, I went out for the Tennessee Temple University soccer team my freshman year and made the team! Looking back it seems unbelievable that little Bailes, as they called me, even made the college team. But, I don't remember ever doubting for a minute that I would make the team. I didn't see myself through my eyes any longer! I had the confidence of my father in me and that brings me to today's message.

Well, life isn't always so exciting and doesn't always work out quite this way, but I do know a man who was able to keep his fathers confidence no matter how bad things got in his life. He was able to keep his fathers attitude toward others even when they tried to knock him down and treat him bad. His attitude was an attitude of love towards others no matter how bad they treated him and it was this love that encouraged his fellow team members on to live a victorious life in Christ. Thia man was Paul and the passage I want you to read with me was written by Paul while in a prison for doing what was right. He was in prison for being the man that God had told him to be, but he didn't lack confidence that his father was right all along.

In Ephesians 3:13-21 Paul writes;
Wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulations (in prison) for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.(confidence in God)That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man;(Seeing through God's eyes)That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints(the whole team) what is the breadth and length and depth and height(Understanding through His eyes how great the love is that we have in us) And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with ALL the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly(beyond) abundantly(more and more) above all(greater) that we ask(with our mouth) or think(with our mind) according to(confidently) the power that works in us.(Jesus)
Unto Him be glory in the church(believers) by Christ Jesus throughout all ages(even today!) world without end. Amen.

You see, His love and confidence in our love will never end and that is why Paul could write this while sitting in a prison cell. He may have been imprisoned in the flesh, but he had the confidence of his Father inside and THAT changed the way he saw everything around him! We too must trust our Father in Heaven like a child all the time and we will believe and put our trust in our Father's infinite love.

The next time you see a child holding their father's hand, remember the confidence we have in our Father and smile.