Let the Little Children Come to Jesus
By Ryan Barlow
| Raising a family can be a wonderful adventure with Jesus. Yet, it can also present many challenges for both parents and children. Proverbs 22:6 reads, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This wisdom from Proverbs is inviting us as parents, grandparents and caregivers of all kinds, to teach our little ones about what really matters in this life. What really matters? Jesus. Jesus is the way. When our children are living on the firm foundation of Jesus, they will experience true life each day. The same is true for you and me! Think about how much better your day is when you begin with prayer, and when you take the time to really slow down and meditate on God’s Word found in scripture. This practice of prayer and reading the Bible reorients us, and reminds us of who God is, what God has done, and what He has promised to do through Jesus. Being reminded of these truths will shift your whole perspective from the worries of this world to one of gratitude for who you are in Christ. Life is so much less stressful when you have a heavenly perspective. But, we have to be in prayer, and in God’s Word to have this perspective. Jesus is the way, and when we practice following his ways by beginning and ending our day with him, we’re not as likely to be rattled by the uncertainties of this life. So, why don’t we as parents start and end our day with Jesus? Jesus is inviting us to draw near to him. But, when life is crazy, and we feel like we’re caught up in a whirlwind of tasks and juggling schedules, it can be tempting to run right past Jesus. I can tell you that as a father, there have been many times where Jesus has been put on hold so that I can focus on tasks rather than Jesus, and sadly, rather than my own children. I believe that one of the biggest mistakes that I have made as a father was to buy my son an Amazon Fire Tablet. If I let my son, he would spend hours upon hours hunched over that little screen playing mindless games, watching YouTube videos and so on. There was a point where my son would not eat his breakfast if he didn’t have that tablet right in front of him. He would not go to bed if he did not have that addictive little screen with him. Yet, I thought that it was so convenient for me to be able to plop him in front of a screen so that I could focus on my needs and my tasks. What I should have been doing was sitting at the table with my son, reading Bible stories, talking to him about Jesus, and engaging with him in conversation. I should have been taking my son to bed and reading a Bible story and praying with him. As parents, it can be so tempting to find ways to distract our children rather than leading them to Jesus. Well, the scary thing is this: our children will become a reflection of what they see and hear most often. And if the primary influence in our child’s life is a YouTube channel or a video game, we’re not setting our children up for true life in Jesus. Instead, we are setting our children up to find their source of happiness, hope and comfort in a TV show, a video game, or an iPad – none of which can actually satisfy or save. The practice of pointing our children to Jesus isn’t going to be easy or perfect. Thankfully we’re not alone. Jesus is with us as we do our best to raise faithful children. We’re all human, and we’re going to stumble and sin. Yet, Jesus is faithful even when we’re not. He forgives you and sets you free to try again. So, how can we as parents, grandparents, and caregivers, point our little ones to Jesus?
I am guessing everyone in your home has their own smart phone, or screen they like to play on. But does everyone in your home have a Bible? If not, that’s a great place to start. Buy your child a Bible, write an encouraging note on the inside cover, sign it, date it, and give it to them. Then in the mornings and evenings you can say, “Hey go grab your Bible! Let’s see what Jesus is up to today!” Then, end your devotion with a prayer.
When you start and end your day with Jesus, your days are going to be much less stressful. Yet, if you are busy or running late, it can seem like there isn’t time to sit down to read scripture with your loved ones. If this is the case, try playing worship music and praying on the way to dropping the kids off at school, or as you head to work. At the end of the day, practice eating together as a family. Read a devotion or Bible story together. Pray together. Ask your children to pray, or ask them what they’d like to pray for. Remind your kids that you love them, and that Jesus loves them.
If your kids or grandkids live out of state, or you can’t physically be with them, there is something very simple, yet very powerful that you can do for them. Pray for them. Pray that parents will raise up godly children. Pray that children will listen to and obey their parents. Jesus is faithful and will answer your prayers in His perfect timing. Imagine if we invested more time in training up our children in the ways of Jesus – even to the point where they will pass the same teaching on to their children and future generations. What a beautiful picture that is! |