Do you know what kind of people really impress Jesus? Children. Little children. Even infants. They don’t overanalyze. Their brains don’t get in the way of the truth as much as adults’ brains do.

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3,4).

Jesus says that our adult thinking can get in the way of a fulfilling life connected to his kingdom, now and forever. He tells adults that we should stop complicating things and getting in our own way. 

Be more like little children and toddlers. Humbly accept Jesus. Eagerly embrace Jesus. Quickly seek Jesus. Believe in Jesus with uncomplicated minds and underdeveloped egos.

Cognitive processing is related to faith, but it’s not the same as faith. It can help faith. It can also hurt faith. What matters more than cognitive, conscious processing is believing. Awake or asleep. Adult or child. Baptism is the gift of God’s saving grace that delivers such faith, even to infants.

This is why it’s so good for adults to welcome infants—through Baptism—into a relationship with Jesus. In doing so, we welcome Jesus and his kingdom. And he approves: “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5).