ENCOURAGING CHILDREN

A large cathedral was having its beautiful, hand-carved doors replaced with ones that were lighter and easier to open. A gentleman walking by the church stopped and asked the foreman the reason for changing the doors.

“Because,” came the reply, “they are too heavy for children. No church should have doors that are too difficult for children to open.”

Jesus set the example for us to follow in our relationships with children. He said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them!”

What a precious picture of Jesus – perhaps one of the most important ones of Him in the Gospels. He was the kind of person who children loved. In fact, George MacDonald once said, “People would never be followers of Jesus if the children were afraid of Him.” The love He spoke of must have been obvious to everyone because of the life He lived. He was never too busy to be interrupted, or too tired to be disturbed. He gave His all to everyone who needed anything.

Jesus also seemed to say that children were nearer to God than anyone else. Why? Because of their trust and truthfulness, simplicity and sincerity. As we age, we seem to grow further from God rather than closer. Might we learn from this truth from children and ask God for a child-like faith? Are we too involved with ourselves to return to a child-like faith?

Prayer: Help us, Father, to live lives that attract the young, the old and everyone in between who need You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:   Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:13-15