Our value system needs to change. In Matt. 18: 5 “What's more, when you receive the childlike
on my account, it's the same as receiving me.” How do we receive children?
How do we greet them when passing them in the street or at a shopping centre? I
am challenged by this thought! If I walk into a room with adults and children,
whom do I greet first? Do I acknowledge the children or just nod to them in
passing? If in a conversation and a child asks for my attention, what is my
normal reaction? Do I just acknowledge their presence or do I make time to give
them my full attention. Are we so carved into the groove that society has set
out for us or are children really as important to us as they are to Jesus?
Children crave to
be accepted for who they are. They
need to feel safe at home, in
society and at school. They need to know they have a safety net of solid relationships with people who accept them unconditionally. People who
recognize their feelings, needs and potential. People who seek
to understand them rather than focusing on being understood. People who
will place a high value on spending time
with them, playing their games and touching
their lives with love and new
experiences. They need to be seen as “people” who can contribute to the gathering and therefore be given responsibility.
Just think if we can get children to know that God planned them just the way
they are and that they are not here by accident but by design appointment, how
many will be able to get free from guilt, shame and all the other lies the
devil puts in their little hearts from the start!
This is no wonder
that the Bible then also refers to Ps. 78: 1-8 of the roll you and I need to play in the upbringing of our children. “Oh, I’ve had my turn!” You might say!
Your children are grown up and it’s our turn to rest. The African saying springs
to mind: It takes a village to raise a child.
Even Moses understood the importance of
community being involved in the upbringing and teaching of children when we
read in Deut. 6:4 he starts with: “Attention
all Israel!” He is not only addressing the parents, he is addressing the
whole community. In v 6-7 he continues with: “Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them
inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or
walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning
to when you fall into bed at night.”
The reason the
Bible urges us to be part of our children’s up brining is also stated in
Ps. 78:7 So that the next generation will
know God and what He has done and therefore love Him and put their trust in God. That they would live out what they were taught. We need
to see that the knowledge and experiences that we have received from God is
passed on to the next generation so that God can build on that revelation to
further equip the coming generations with knowledge,
trust and obedience.
Just think where our community and society will be
if our children grow up knowing God
intimately. Having a revelation
of this awesome wonderful God who knows
“ME”, loves me and wants to have a relationship with me!
They need to grow up realizing that God
has a plan for their lives and that He wants them and loves them just the
way they are. Then
they will know that they can trust Him
with every situation in their lives,
the good, the bad and the ugly! They will start to live lives of obedience to His tugging on their hearts and align their
actions with the Word of God, not because they HAVE TO but because they WANT TO.
They will live lives that will show His love to others because they were loved
first!
It is time to stand up as a
community and make a difference in our children’s lives. We need to put our own needs and wants aside and start serving our children because we understand how important they are to God!
How are you going to impact
tomorrow’s leaders, president, CEO’s of companies? Get involved in
children’s lives today! Ask God to show you where you can have the greatest
impact in the leaders of our country for the future. Be part of ministry to children in your community!
No comments:
Post a Comment