Innocence is cultivated in a spirit of hope.

Paul reminds us that, “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I Corinthians 13:6-8

It has been said that “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.” How true!

Hopeless people go through life crippled. Helen Keller once noticed, “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to unchartered land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.”

Only hope-filled people have the power to impact the world for Christ!

Is there anywhere in your heart where you have lost hope? Bring your broken heart to the Lord. He specializes in resurrecting hope!

Innocence is cultivated in an atmosphere of faith-filled wonder.

The Bible tells us that the earth is filled with God’s glory! Unfortunately, we live in a nation ravaged by rabid secularism which attempts to strip the world of God and His glory as the Creator. As a result, our high definition techno-color planet becomes a black and white re-run.

To restore our innocence, we need to see God and the world as He created it. I love this quote from the poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

Earth’s crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes – The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

Are you worshipping or simply plucking blueberries?

You see, “Wonder,’ writes Ravi Zacharias, ‘is retained by wise pondering.” We need to put the brakes on our busy, berry-plucking lives to take the time to ponder upon God’s greatness. Only God has the ability to inspire wonder. He goes on to observe, “Ideas have an expiration date for thrills; only the glory of a person is inexhaustible.” You can’t have dynamic faith apart from the greatness of the Person, God.

We grow up as children with the belief that our Dad can do anything. Over time, as we experience the pain and disappointments of life in a fallen world, we are tempted to lose our sense of childlike faith. We become cynical and unbelieving. Take Sarah as an example (Genesis 18:9-14)

God promised her a child in her old age. She laughed. It was not the laugh of childlike joy and excitement. It was the laugh from a heart filled with pain and hopelessness. God reminded her that with Him, nothing was impossible! Nine months later she’s breast-feeding her new son at the nursing home! God got the last laugh!

Do you still believe your heavenly Father can do anything? Have you lost your sense of holy wonder?

Innocence flourishes in an atmosphere of love.

Love-filled homes are places of security and strength. This security is founded upon consistency, confidence and reliability. Healthy families are filled with predictable routines, promises kept, expectations that are fulfilled and life-giving structure. We see this modeled via family rituals and special traditions such as holiday festivities or summer vacations.

Put simply, the children know what to expect.

Loving fathers make it a priority to spend time with their wives and children. They come home at night after a busy day at work. They model unselfish devotion and commitment to the family.

You see, security comes from a lack of ambiguity, clear standards and concrete expectations.

All this creates a safe, secure atmosphere of love where innocence can grow and flourish.

Regardless of your family situation, all of these qualities exist in your relationship with your heavenly Father. He is faithful. He keeps his promises. His love for you is constant, unrelenting and predictable. He enjoys being with you…all the time. You are safe, secure, desired and cherished. Knowing and experiencing His love is necessary for the cultivation of an innocent spirit.