In Matthew 19:13-15 the story is told of when Jesus encountered a group of kids.
One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.
Kids are amazing! It is very easy to take them for granted and forget the difference they make in our world, and in the lives of others. Too often we allow ourselves to get too busy for our kids and we can easily neglect them.
We need to remind ourselves of Jesus’ heart for and passion for making a difference in kid's lives. Jesus consistently made time for kids – and by remembering the reasons why He loved kids – we can make time for them too.
Kids are honest
Kids are some of the most genuine beings on the planet and simply cannot hide what they are thinking and feeling. They wear their heart on their sleeve and their foot in their mouth. It can be the most frustrating thing being in public and hearing your child casually comment about the amount of hair on that old lady’s face. Or even more frustrating hearing your child pour out their sadness at losing a game of monopoly – like my competitive son James who will literally cry for 25 minutes straight.
However, the impact of a child’s honesty is never more powerful when they look you in the eye and tell you they love you. Or tell you that you are the best mummy or daddy in the world. A whole day’s worth of stress and frustration will melt away with a quietly whispered “I love you daddy. Sweet dreams.”
Kids are underdogs
Throughout history, whenever a humanitarian crisis arose, the first to suffer would be the children. Adults are the gatekeepers to resources and when times get tough we naturally look after ourselves. Heck – flight attendants insist we place the oxygen mask on ourselves before we put it on anybody else – and this is the right thing to do, because you can’t help anybody else if you need help yourself. But it just proves that kids are at the mercy of others, and are life’s underdogs.
Kids need heroes. Kids need heroes to save them, heroes to protect them, and heroes to inspire them. Jesus is the greatest superhero of all. Bringing help to the helpless, hope to the weary, and life to the lost.
Kids are pure
Kids put their lives into other’s hands very easily. If we are not careful, kids will casually cross a busy road without looking for cars. From the moment they are born children are dependent on others around them, so from the beginning they are brought up to naturally trust others around them. Kids are innocent and pure, and so are susceptible to being led astray. Their inclination to trust makes it all the more important that we, as their parents and carers, find ways to protect them and lead them through childhood in a safe and loving environment.
The thing is – this is not necessarily a bad thing, and in fact it’s actually a good thing. The fact that kids are so trusting reminds us as adults that we are vulnerable and dependent on God. As adults we easily believe the lie that we are in control, that we determine our destiny, and that we call the shots – and this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The older I get the more I am learning how precious, frail, and delicate life is. Any moment could be our last breath – which is a powerful reminder that we are still walking along, hand in hand, with our Creator. He helps us cross the busy road every step we take, and children are a beautiful reminder as to how, and why, we should trust God.
Kids are fun
Kids are full of energy! They can drive us nuts with their incessant demands and overwhelming needs for constant attention, but they definitely make life full – and I would have it no other way. We can easily get irritated by the amount of noise and energy that comes from kids, but we need to remember that they are not doing anything wrong, it’s just that our energy cycles are different to theirs.
Adults tend to have a 12 hour energy cycle. I have my greatest energy from 9am – 12pm then I have a minor low from 3 – 5 pm, with another minor high from 7 – 9pm, and then my lowest energy levels will be from 12 – 4am. Children have a much shorter cycle, and depending on their age, their cycle can be as short as 2 hours, to around 4 – 6 hours.
Unfortunately, the best time I have to spend with my kids are always times when my energy levels are low, but I can make the most of it by planning ahead and having things already prepared for them to do. That way I will already know that we are going for a walk to the park after school and I don’t need to stress about trying to make decisions about what we are going to do.
Besides – we were born to have joy. Just yesterday I was able to snap myself out of a grumpy mood by sitting on the couch and laughing and tickling my daughter Hannah. She really is her ‘Father’s Joy’.
Kids are full of potential
Kids are a blank canvas. They have their whole life set before them and the sky is the limit. It is a unique and honoured position to be able to speak into the life of a child.
Every adult can think back to a time when they were a child and a grownup came alongside them and significantly impacted their world. Just like when my High School Baseball Coach came along side me one day and said that I was a leader, and that he thinks I have the potential to make a difference.
As adults, we do the same thing for the kids we encounter every moment during the day. Let’s live lives that kids will remember, and remember the moment that their lives changed.
Children are a Blessing
Psalm 127 says that Children are a Blessing and a Gift from the Lord. After having 4 kids I can undoubtedly say that this is true. Since we became parents over 9 years ago, our life has always been full of joy, laughter, meaning, and purpose. Every time we had another child, our blessings grew – not only did we experience the fullness and satisfaction of having children – but we grew as people.
Sleep deprivation stretches you to limits that you never dreamed were possible. The selfishness of kids and the forced selflessness (in most cases) of parenthood teaches you things about yourself you never realised were there. It also gives you glimpses of a far deeper love that exists. A love that can only come from our Heavenly Father.
So let us remember, like Jesus did, how amazing kids are – and the reasons why we love them.
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