We know from the Bible that children are very important to Christ. In Matthew 19, Jesus tells his disciples to allow the children to come to him so he can lay hands on them and pray for them. He also stresses the importance of having a childlike faith. But where does that faith come from? We are born with limited understanding of God our creator, but we must be taught about His goodness.
Deuteronomy 11: 19 Teach them to your children…when you sit at home…walk along the road…lie down and when you get up
Proverbs 22:6 Start children off in the way they should go…when they
are old they will not turn from it
For me, I can remember the exact moment I first heard about Jesus. It was on Christmas Eve when I was a small child. We gathered around my grandpa as he read the story of Jesus’ birth from the Bible. Hearing that story for the first time planted that seed in my soul, but seeds are nothing if they are not watered. I was blessed to have amazing Sunday school teachers who poured into me at a young age. However, when you think about it, your kids are only in Sunday school 52 Sundays in a year. The rest of the 313 days, they are listening, watching, and learning from those around them.
The holidays are a time when families from all ages get together. I challenge you this holiday season to share about God’s goodness with the children in your life. We learn from these verses that it can be as simple as chatting with them in the car to talking about it during dinner.
Children have many influences speaking into their lives, it is important to make sure the voice of God is the loudest one they are hearing.
Jennifer Rush