February 10
The Adult Heart: How We Lost What We Once Had
Every person starts life with a deeply childlike heart. We come into the world with wonder, trust, curiosity, and simplicity. We don't hide. We don't pretend. We don't carry shame. We don't overthink. We simply are.
But somewhere along the way of growing up, things become complicated. Pain comes to us. Disappointment builds up. People let us down. Religion teaches us things about God that make us fearful. Culture pushes us to compete, succeed, compare, and prove ourselves.
By the time we reach adulthood, most of us have lost the tenderness we had as children. We compensate by becoming: self-reliant, hyper-responsible, emotionally guarded, suspicious, cynical, driven, and spiritually performance-oriented.
These are survival strategies. And for many of us, they worked for a season. They protected us from being hurt again. They helped us manage a world that often felt unsafe or unpredictable. But they also made it hard to trust, rest, be vulnerable, and believe that God delights in us.
It’s difficult to experience the kingdom as Jesus described because the kingdom is built on receptivity, not performance.
That’s why childlikeness isn’t optional — it’s essential.
Becoming Childlike Again: Pages 5-6
Every person starts life with a deeply childlike heart. We come into the world with wonder, trust, curiosity, and simplicity. We don't hide. We don't pretend. We don't carry shame. We don't overthink. We simply are.
But somewhere along the way of growing up, things become complicated. Pain comes to us. Disappointment builds up. People let us down. Religion teaches us things about God that make us fearful. Culture pushes us to compete, succeed, compare, and prove ourselves.
By the time we reach adulthood, most of us have lost the tenderness we had as children. We compensate by becoming: self-reliant, hyper-responsible, emotionally guarded, suspicious, cynical, driven, and spiritually performance-oriented.
These are survival strategies. And for many of us, they worked for a season. They protected us from being hurt again. They helped us manage a world that often felt unsafe or unpredictable. But they also made it hard to trust, rest, be vulnerable, and believe that God delights in us.
It’s difficult to experience the kingdom as Jesus described because the kingdom is built on receptivity, not performance.
That’s why childlikeness isn’t optional — it’s essential.
Becoming Childlike Again: Pages 5-6