Published on: 20/10/2026
In Matthew 11:25, Jesus says “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.”
Adults tend to feel that they know better than children do. As children, we were always being told that “you’ll understand when you grow up.” I’m still waiting for the time to come when I really do understand, despite being a grown-up!
It’s true that in many situations, adults do know better than children. My mum was right when she said that you feel better when you eat enough fruit and vegetables! But although children don’t have the experience that we’ve gained over the years, we would be wise to listen to Jesus’ words and not become too satisfied with our own understanding. Children can offer a different perspective, a fresh outlook on almost everything. How often could you do with a fresh outlook or a different way of looking at things to help make that decision or finally start that new thing? What might be hidden from your own, very wise and learned eyes that God might have revealed to a child near you?
I recently ran a project listening to the voices of children in primary schools throughout the Diocese with a focus on the topic of leadership. (I used some resources designed by the Diocese of Leicester – you can find out more on their website: Bishops Children and Youth Council (BCYC) – Diocese of Leicester.) I surveyed 250 children across different schools in very different locations, and it was interesting that when asked to write down qualities that are important in a leader, the most common submission from all the schools I attended was “kindness” – in fact, the top four submissions were all related to personality rather than ability: “brave,” “respectful” and “happy”. We had to get down to the fifth most popular word to get to “smart.”
I didn’t ask children why kindness was so important to them – I wonder what they would have said? But what’s clear is that children value leaders who are kind. In all our busyness and organisation and events (all good things!) are we stopping to consider what it means to be kind leaders? When we’re thinking about what a good leader is like, do we think of things like “smart” or “has everything together” or are we also considering character: am I “kind” or “courageous?”
As autumn is getting into full swing, and as we head towards Christmas time and all that comes with that, I want to encourage you to find a way that you can hear the perspective of children and young people. Have the humility to ask yourself what your own perspective might be missing, and the courage to ask children what they think about it all.
If you’re looking for ideas about how to listen to the voices of children and young people, I’d love to chat! Get in touch with Rachel.baker@sheffield.anglican.org
This week’s Blog post was written by Rachel Baker, Young Leaders’ Community Enabler.