Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15
“Research conducted over the past few decades provides strong evidence of intrinsic generous behaviors in children. This evidence suggests that generosity is deeply rooted in human psychology—that the instinct to help others is at least partially innate and not purely the product of social and cultural conditioning. Indeed, some research suggests that these instincts may be strongest when we are young and that they are actually moderated throughout childhood.”
Summer Allen in “The Science of Generosity” White Paper produced by the Greater Good Science Center.
Fascinating! Yesterday we saw the science teach us that God wired us to give and that giving is crucial to our survival.
Today we find that generosity is innate, that means it’s inborn, natural, what God made us to do, and the instincts “may be strongest when we are young and that they are actually moderated throughout childhood.” No wonder Jesus said we must receive the kingdom not just like a child but like a “little child.”
As we age, we see the brokenness of the world, and fears can limit our giving and sharing. The world around us moderates our thinking and our actions. But what if we try to remember what it is like to be a little child? Back in time we trusted our parents to supply everything.
We did not worry about anything. We did not even know what worry was! That’s how God wants us to trust Him.
Take a moment today to think or even journal along these lines. Ponder how social factors may have moderated your generosity. Resolve to return to your innate tendencies and trust God like a little child. Perhaps identify some challenge or issue or need about which you need to trust God?