Corona Devo 234
Often, I get so busy being busy that I miss my true calling at-the-moment. I am rushing around cleaning, prepping, washing, packing and in the middle of my rush, I am missing the hush of childhood and teen-hood, and even marriage-hood.
Please understand, I am using the word "hush" as a word-picture, because there is actually never a quiet time in our home (yours either?), except when all are tucked in and passed out for a few blessed evening hours. But I mean "hush" as in the current-lull-of-life-stage that each of us are in. You may be in the quiet-hush-calm of your senior years. You may be in a "young-adult hush"--life is fresh and new and yours to explore. Or, like me you may be in a "parental hush", where there is no actual "hush" (ever), but there is activity and exploration and motion and the developing of who our children (or other people's children that we are able to invest in) are becoming/and going-to-be. This is the stage that God is reminding me (us?) to stop "motoring" through. We must stop(!) and invest our love and the love of Christ into others in our lives, especially the children.
About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. ~Matthew 18:2-5
So interesting--Jesus used a child to demonstrate pure faith to His disciples. But it makes sense--doesn't it? Children's hearts are untainted with the cynicism that the world (and us?) imparts on them. They (we) become hardened over time. But the reasons to delight in Christ never change: we do. The miracle of His saving grace over our sinful lives never changes: we do. Kids remind us what it's like to enjoy life, and to enjoy the simplicity and purity of life and God.
Today, let's take a moment to welcome(s) a little child, instead of busily brushing past them, and let's also heed Christ's advice to turn from your sins and become like little children, and to be as humble.
We are always trying to "teach" children something (a lesson, manners, our stances)...it turns out that we need to learn some lessons ourselves. And if we are falling short on having a Godly influence on the younger-ones in our lives, the consequences are serious.
6 But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. ~Matthew 18:6
Parenting, teaching, and raising children is a privilege. I know, I know--it can also be exhausting and depleting sometimes, but God designed the family unit to be a human cycle including generations of believers, taught by example, trial-and-error, and faith.
We had better take the assignment seriously.
And sometimes I forget. Or a better description is that I get distracted. I see the children before me, but the piles and messes in my peripheral vision distract me. And so bedtime stories get skipped, devotionals don't get pulled-out, and even-keeled-moods become seasonal. But God cautions and redirects us back to our main responsibility after following Him: leading others to Him.
If our moods/standards/criticism/schedules/to-do-list is causing us to cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, then we need to pull back the reins on our life and reign in ourselves. God doesn't mince words about what is most important to Him: His people. Not a clean house, straight A's, starting line-up, most volunteer hours, neatest handwriting or most books read. If we are harping on these things (or any others), instead of championing God's love and rule over our kids' lives, then we are going to cause them to fall into sin.
When we are pushed/berated/criticized/and chewed-out are we prone to fall into sin? So are our children. God says "don't".
He also doesn't mince His words about consequences on us (or anyone) who is mishandling their influence for Christ: it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.
What other impression and influence in our lives is more important than the one we make upon our children (or children entrusted to us)?
And yet, we worry so much about what others might think, or the impression that we might be making on others. But in those moments we have it all wrong. By focusing on pleasing others, and pushing our kids to do the same, we elevate social/worldly standards above God and His standards. The result can eventually equal only one thing: causing these little ones...to fall into sin (Matthew 18:6).
Today, we have to WAKE UP and embrace, enjoy and elevate the opportunity we have to minister to children on Jesus behalf. Ours, and other people's children.
Even as seekers of Christ, we get side-tracked by life's desires and responsibilities, but Jesus is telling us to hop off of life's merry-go-round and to sit down with the children happily playing right in front of us in the sandbox of life. We'll have to stop what we were doing, and we might get messy, but we are about to learn something from them.
And the awesome, advanced-calculations of Jesus somehow connects the two: And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. (Matthew 18:5).
Today, Lord, we ask you for patience and kindness to welcome the children, and in this way we open our hearts wide to You as well.
Blessings,
sarah
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