It’s funny how many times children can be overlooked by adults. Their thoughts and opinions can be belittled and tossed to the side with less consideration by adults who don’t take the time to listen to the quirky truths that spout out of the mouths of toddlers and young children which can leave most listeners baffled by their knowledge and wisdom at such a young age. Just take a look at the little children in Recess Therapy. Though still kids, these little kids might be on to something and we should consider the little golden nuggets that they utter out of their hearts the way Jesus did when he encouraged the listeners around Him to bring the little children unto him.
In fact, Jesus says,
Have childlike faith
He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-4
4 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 19:14
Children have an innocent quality to them that makes them explore the world in awe in wonder. They believe in the impossible, trust unapologetically, and love generously. We should be more simple as children the way Jesus calls us to be and embrace the innocence of the children in our lives.
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3
For with God nothing will be impossible (Luke 1:37)
When I was a young girl, between the ages of 8 and approaching 13 years old my dad started to teach me that I will eventually have to give an account to God about the things I did on earth but that for the moment God knows that children are innocent and pure at heart and Jesus loves children.
He assured me if anything happened to me that God loved me because of Jesus and who He is first and would take me to be with Him if I died as a child, same for any child who goes too soon from this earth.
But dad also reminded me that as an adult, between 13 and 18 years old, we all have to make up our minds to receive Jesus in our heart because if we die without His Salvation1 (Romans 10:9-10) we go to hell. He assured me, that God doesn’t send anyone to hell but those people who don’t accept Jesus’s life jacket (Salvation Romans 10:9-10) in the sinking ship that is called life (John 16:33) that we were already on our way to hell without Him because we didn’t reach out to the life jacket that Jesus was offering to us while we were alive on the earth.
That’s why I remember as a child dad telling me, “Don’t you ever ever walk away from Jesus.” “Smile, Jesus loves you.” and “Jesus is looking and booking” as a way to remind me that God knows what I’m doing in secret.
As Jesus is looking and booking I recall my next point as a way that God the Father also tenderly fathers young children in the Word
Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Ecc 11:9 NKJV
My adolescence was a rocky time in many ways but I was still conscious of the Lord Jesus, but now that I’m older and have invested so much of my time and heart in the Lord I look to Him with a little more understanding, acceptance and grace. I realize that I am still young at a youthful 29 years old and have begun to understand what my parents said when they talked about youth still being vigorous in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. However, youth, as it begins in childhood and adolescence, is still a good time to consider how innocent children are and that scientifically their brains are still developing well into their mid to late 20s (see footnote)2 and they are not neurologically capable to make mature decisions that most adults make later in their 30s and even 40s have to make.
It is a shame to see so many teenagers dying due to reckless behavior because they didn’t have good instruction at home. They all start out feeling as if they are invincible and nothing bad could ever happen to them but their parents never took the time to remind them that they should think about the actions to their consequences before making reckless decisions or they never thought to take the time to listen to their parents.
Teen suicide, self-harm, drug & alcohol addiction, car accidents due to reckless driving, and so on, are so prevalent in our youth today because they were never really instructed to take time in the Word to be with Jesus and let His Word influence their minds and decisions to avoid reckless behaviors before God and mankind.
Now that I see that, I think it is really important to be patient with our kids and teach them from an early age about Jesus and try to think through their choices before making reckless decisions that could ruin their lives later on. The word does say, In the end, if they just do whatever they want without thought God will still judge them for their choices. It doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love them any less, He just wants them to be careful and really enjoy life to the fullest considering Him through Jesus Christ first .
And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that …. for all these God will bring you into judgment. Ecc 11:9 (emphasis added for clarity)
I’ve even heard older adults in their late 20s and thirties admit to trying to do the best they could but still making wrong choices. The church makes it seem that you can’t make mistakes and you must follow God’s will completely and will judge you for any bad move you make but sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith without man’s consent and go for something even if plans fail and fall through. If your conscience is clear before God knowing that you made the best choice you could make God knows your heart and will go easy on you.
Here is another instruction children receive from God in the Word and it is to do this:
'Honor your father and mother'—this is the first commandment with a promise: 'so that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth'” (Ephesians 6:1–3).
The second half is a promise from God if you keep the first half. If children want it to go well with them and live a long life on the earth they should honor their father and their mother.
God the Father wants good things for His children and rewards those who obey His Word through Jesus. If children love their parents and treat them respectfully honoring them God will respond to those children with goodness in life and with a long life on the earth. However, many kids fail to receive this instruction at the home, and many lose their lives by disobeying their parents, dishonoring them, and even worse committing heinous crimes like parricide. The news is full of these horrible stories because people don’t have Jesus in their lives to tell their children any better to love them and treat them right as they should read their Bibles and spend time with Jesus in the Word.
God the Father is a good Father since He loves us so much in Jesus
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:19)
Haven’t you ever heard your mother say to you that she loves you no matter what? I remember when my mom told me as a little girl, “Rose of Sharon it doesn’t matter what you say or do, nothing could ever make me love you any less.”
Of course, I didn’t know what she was saying at the time but her unconditional love could only remind me of the way that God loves us so unconditionally through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:35-39 says,
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We could literally go through anything. Make dumb decisions. Backslide for a time. Not read our bibles enough. Become heartbroken through many types of trials but God still chooses to love us. He doesn’t love us any less by what we say or do. He still just wants us as a father wants and loves His kids. That’s why He gave us Jesus.
We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. (1 John 3:16)
All God asks from us even from a young age is to believe in Jesus.
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. (1 John 3:23)
God is so wonderful to accept us as children of God through Jesus. He is also so good to love and accept our kids. Why do you think He Hates abortion so much?
As soon as a child is conceived, they are considered a new life.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
15My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
16Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
17How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You. (Psalm 139)
Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. (Psalm 127:3)
Children just want to be loved and we can see how much God the Father and Jesus Christ love them from the start. Therefore, it is important to love and care for our kids and instruct them in the ways of the Lord while they are young because God realizes that they are just babies for so long and need a little guidance to make good choices in life even if they fall on their faces from time to time. We all do it even as we get older and just like we should be there to pick them up God is there to pick us up again and dust us off (Proverbs 24:16). He doesn’t deal with us as He should but He is merciful through the start in Jesus (Psalm 103). So it is important to include children in church, teaching them about Jesus early on and it is important to remember to be simple like them having child-like faith. May we never lose our wonder as we continually seek to pursue Jesus individually and together in the family.
Confession of Faith to Salvation in Jesus Christ
If you haven’t already received Jesus in your heart or maybe you have and lost your childlike faith or you would like to share Jesus with your child or children after reading this article. You can pray this confession of faith in the privacy of your home with your kids to accept Him in your hearts as your Lord and Savior.
Pray this aloud:
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for your love and your expression for love for us at the cross. I confess with my mouth that you are the Lord Jesus and I believe in my heart that God has raised You from the dead on the third day. Please come into my heart today.
In Jesus name,
Amen.