I must admit to struggling with the magazine’s theme for this month. It’s not that it’s a bad theme; I just haven’t been feeling or acting very “young at heart” lately. I seem to be overthinking and worrying about everything. Life is often challenging, and not only do I have my own struggles, but I also witness family and others around me dealing with far more than me. Often, problems and pressures keep growing, and the daily news we get is seldom good.

So, if all of this is part of being an adult, what does it mean to be young at heart? Whenever I feel overwhelmed and scared, I give myself the same advice that I give to others—pray. Prayer should always be our first response, not our last resort. I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to take St. Padre Pio’s advice to “Pray, hope, and don’t worry,” but I always end up thinking, “That’s easier said than done.”

Taking all of this to prayer, I realize that a lot of the pressure comes from… me. I want to be great, to be the best at something (or everything). I want to be popular—well-liked by everybody—and profound and funny. I want people to see the best parts of my personality and none of my flaws. I certainly don’t want to be known as “the guy who really messed up” or worse, as “the one who messes up everything.”

In the Gospel of Matthew, the disciples approach Jesus and ask Him, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus’ response is one I need to read—as, perhaps, many of us do—over and over. Jesus calls a child over to Him, and presenting that child to the disciples, He says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:1-4).

What is Jesus saying here? He asks us to cultivate our inner humility and trust God completely. He asks us to be like children because they are not pretentious like adults. Children are who they are, acting in accordance with their nature, and they don’t try to hide it. They see themselves as God sees them. Pride has not yet taken hold of their hearts. He asks us to be like children because they are utterly dependent but experience this dependence as freedom. We must realize that we are utterly dependent on God. We need Jesus and His Church for our salvation, and this truth will not bind us to a bunch of arbitrary rules but set us free!

While being child-like (or young at heart) has nothing to do with age, it has everything to do with spiritual maturity. I’ve come to realize that it is only my pride that makes me want to be the greatest and most popular among my peers. It isn’t me that people need to know and love, it’s Jesus Christ. However, if we’re going to help others encounter Jesus, we must encounter Him first and constantly build up our relationship with Him.

Now that I’m shifting focus to Jesus instead of myself, I feel as if the weight of the world has lifted off my shoulders. While it remains true that there is no shortage of sin, heartbreak, anxiety, and death in our world, we have a refuge in Jesus Christ who already conquered all of it and promised to prepare a place for us. Knowing this and striving to remain young at heart allows the joy of the Gospel to begin filling up our lives, despite the darkness that surrounds us.