Think outside the box

I just love speaking with kids. They have not been conformed to “behaving like an adult” yet, and the things they say delight me. They truly think outside the box.

Thinking outside the box is a metaphor that means to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking. Kids are like this by being what they are, childlike, which is marked by innocence, trust, ingenious, and frankness.

Here are two examples.

I like having conversations with kids. Grown-ups never ask me what my third favorite dinosaur is.

A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. “Hallelujah! God is great,” he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not. Just then, a man came along who recently completed some studies at a local university. Feeling himself very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show off this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his joy.

The boy replied with a bright laugh, “Don’t you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waters of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle.” The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to open his eyes to the realities of the Bible. “That can all be very easily explained. Modern science has shown that the Red Sea in that are was only 10 inches deep at that time. So it was no problem for the Israelites to wade across.”

The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible laying open on his lap. The man content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight, turned to go. Scarcely had he take two steps, when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder that before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation.

“Wow!” exclaimed the boy happily. “God is greater than I though! Not only did he lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in only 10 inches of water!”

We all need to think outside the box like this boy. Especially when it comes to our spiritual thinking. To be childlike means to approach things of God with a humility, a trust, and a faith that is simple and pure.

Matthew 18:2 Jesus says that we must “become as little children” in order to enter the kingdom of God. Having a childlike faith symbolizes trust, dependence, and love. It encourages us to ask for what we need. Because what is the most asked question from children?

Why?

Why is the sky blue? Why do fish breathe in the water? Why do zebras have stripes? Why do giraffe’s have long necks? The list goes on and on. Kids are free enough to ask. Because they don’t know the answers to everything, they trust and depend on adults to give them the answers they are looking for.

We can do the same of God. We need to become like little children and feel free to ask God for everything in prayer. He always responds. “And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we really know he is listening when we talk to him and make our requests, then we can be sure that he will answer us.” (1 John 5:14-15 [TLB])

His answer might be a yes, a no, a maybe, or a just wait. But He always hears us. He will never in exasperation give us a reply to our many questions like some adults, “Because I said so!” God is never too busy to listen to our many questions. He loves when we talk with Him.

So join me in thinking outside the box in childlike faith, so that we don’t become the person who feels the need to “enlighten poor, naive people” with our outstanding wisdom. We don’t want to steal anyone’s joy by being a know-it-all. Because trust me, we don’t know it all. We are not God.

I want to be free and simple and pure, like a child. Life would be so much better if we all were.

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