PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 19:13-15
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)
I have a huge soft spot in my heart for kids.
In a family gathering, I prefer to spend time playing with the little ones.
Often the world with them seems so simple, and they know how to have fun.
I don’t feel pressure from them, I almost feel like a kid again.
As adults we make life so complicated, and we make it hard for kids too.
They start with simple wonder and joy, but we help them ‘grow up’ into our heaviness.
Do we hinder kids from the kingdom, making it hard for them to believe and enjoy God?
If I compare and child’s and an adult’s childish behavior, I’d rather be with kids.
I’m fairly certain life in God’s creation will be like a child playing in a park.
Church is usually designed with adults in mind; we put kids in ‘babysit’ or ‘Sunday School’.
But maybe we need to ‘grow down’ (not up) for a while, and learn about life from the kids.
Plan the gathering for kids, with a 5 minute ‘adult’s message’!
And if some adults can’t handle it, send them away for ‘Sunday School’ to learn from kids.
How do I need to grow down, to see and experience life with God like a child?
PRAYER
Lord, forgive us for how we suck the joy from kids, and make them more miserable like us. Help us spend more time with the kids, so that we can learn good things from them!
I find it super comforting to know – that if I believe and trust Jesus as a child does when a parent tells him or her that Jesus is the Messiah – without doubt – that Jesus says to them belongs the Kingdom of God. No human understanding, philosophy or divergent thinking that gets in the way – simple believing and trusting. So I too must believe and trust as a child.
Lord Jesus, thank you for welcoming children. Thank you for opening Your kingdom to all, from the youngest on up. Thank you for the gift of children!
Jesus said unless we become like little children we cannot enter the kingdom.
. Adults can learn a lot from the little ones. Growing down! I like that the CRC Sunday service have time for children story and then afterwards send the children below 9 yrs old to Sunday School.
What if these young ones stay with their parents after the children message for the duration of service and then have a Sunday School by family clusters afterwards. Adults and children learning together with fun (singing, drawing, memorizing, reciting verses)!