Simple Like a Child
A childlike smile—gentle, human, and open—just like Christ in you.
Devotional Credit: Days of Heaven on Earth
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Jesus said that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself like a little child. But true humility isn’t something we can manufacture—it flows from the heart of Christ, born in us when we are born from above.
Today’s devotional from A.B. Simpson reminds us that God never intended us to be religious relics, stiff and proud, admired but untouched. We are meant to be living expressions of Jesus’ approachable, loving, and fully human heart. Real transformation looks like simplicity, not spectacle—like the smile of a child, the gentleness of one who isn't self-conscious, and the kindness that stoops to engage with the lowly.
Jesus didn’t reach the Samaritan woman through status or signs. He reached her through shared thirst. It was His simple humanity—tired and thirsty at a well—that opened the door to divine truth. He invites us to live in that same way: approachable, childlike, and fully present to the needs of those around us. This isn’t natural to the flesh, but Christ in us makes it possible.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I dwell in you not to magnify your strengths, but to express My simplicity through your surrendered heart. I made Myself nothing, taking the form of a servant. I drew near as One weary at a well, not as One exalted on a throne. I touched the leper, wept at gravesides, and stooped to wash feet—not because I had to, but because this is who I am.
Now I live in you to continue that same life. The greatness of My kingdom is not displayed in might, but in meekness. It is not revealed through titles, but through tenderness. When you choose simplicity over self-importance, and when you smile without pretense, the world glimpses Me.
You were not called to be untouchable or revered—you were called to be near, to sit with the broken, to notice the thirsty, to offer grace as easily as breath. My life in you does not strain to impress; it simply loves. You do not need to pretend. In Me, you are free to be fully human—redeemed, approachable, and alive with eternal gentleness.
Let go of what hardens you. Let go of self-awareness and cling instead to Me-awareness. I am the One who makes you soft, warm, and ready to love again—not with your love, but with Mine flowing through you.
Scriptures referenced: Matthew 18:4; Philippians 2:5–8; John 4:6–7; Luke 5:13; John 11:35; John 13:5; Galatians 2:20
🧸 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like holding a sleeping baby. You don’t need to speak or impress—you just need to be present, gentle, and still. The baby isn’t evaluating your performance; it’s resting in your nearness. Likewise, the people God places around you don’t need your perfection. They need your presence—your warmth, your humanity, your Christ-within-you gentleness.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not. You’ve already given me a new heart in Christ—one that is humble, simple, and tender. I trust You to express that heart through me. Let my life reflect the approachable gentleness of Jesus, who did not come to impress but to love. I rest in the truth that You live in me, and that Your Spirit will draw others not through my strength, but through Your simplicity.