"Let the Little Children Come to Me"

Learning about God and his word can be fun for even preschool children
if they are taught at their level of understanding. Above, youngsters
enjoy a Bible class while parents attend worship services.

Jesus Christ loves our children and deeply desires that they be in his kingdom.

HAVE YOU EVER seen the Scared Guy? Maybe you have, on T-shirts or other clothing. Designer Katie Freedman created him while volunteering for the Starlight Foundation, which grants terminally ill children their wishes. "One sick boy was so frightened that I drew a face that was completely terrified and said, 'Let this guy be scared for you.' He laughed and for that moment his fears disappeared," she said.

The Scared Guy was someone upon whom the sick boy could lay his fear, his worry, his pain. When I heard Katie's story of how the Scared Guy was born----in an act of sensitivity and love toward a helpless child---- I recalled from the biblical account how much Jesus cared for little children.

"Do Not Hinder Them"

"People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them, says Bible verse Mark 10:13. "When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.' And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them" (verses 14-16).

Herbert Lockyer, in his well loved book All the Children of the Bible, describes the special relationship Jesus had with children:

"The gospels portray Jesus as a lover of children. Having entered the world as a child, He knew the child heart, and thus childhood was always sacred in his eyes. What strong condemnation He had for those who outraged the rights of children, and how warmly He welcomed the little ones whom He presented as models to those aspiring to the Kingdom of Heaven!...

"Jesus yearns over all the children of the world, irrespective of their color and race, and we should share to bring them to Him because they need Him as Saviour, Teacher and Friend" (pages 51-53). My wife and I believe Jesus' invitation welcomes not only us but our 6-year-old daughter into a loving relationship with him.

What can we do to promote in our children the love, trust and worship that we ourselves feel for our Lord and Savior? How can we help them, too, to embrace Jesus Christ as friend, helper and loving master?

A Heart for God

Paul Lewis urges, "Give your child a heart for God," in his book 40 Ways to Teach Your Child Values (pages 177-180). "It is God's design that parents be responsible to communicate true spiritual values to their children. So the answer starts with you.... Your children won't catch something you don't have."

Here are some practical tips parents can use to foster a youngster's relationship with Jesus:

Pray for her, and teach her to pray, too. Prayer, of course, should be a regular activity full of joy, confidence and worship. Setting time limits or demanding that a kid memorize prayers can prevent her form internalizing a personal awareness and relationship with Jesus Christ.

Respect your child's questions about Jesus. Yes, a small child may well ask how Jesus fed 5,000 people with only a few loaves and fishes, or how he walked on water, or what he looks like now. Use your child's questions to open discussions on Christ's love, mercy and forgiveness. Help her to trust in God's wisdom and concern about saving all the people God made.

Make wise use of your library and bookstore. Take advantages of the explosion of books, videos and other teaching aids to make learning about Jesus Christ interesting and fun.

Make church attendance a joy, and not just a chore, for your child. Worshiping with others of like mind reinforces faith and provides welcome fellowship. Attend church as a family; your child will see that worshiping God is important to you, too.

Talk about your faith openly and naturally, especially as it relates to real-life events. What would Jesus think about this or that occurrence? Make use of the opportunities presented by holidays or special occasions. For instance, when you partake of the Lord's Supper, make sure your child understands the significance of Jesus' sacrificial death on our behalf.

Give your child a sense of the larger world around, especially the fact that God so loved the world that he sent his Son, Jesus, to die to redeem it. When tragedies strike elsewhere in the world, pray for God's mercy on the victims. Contribute your time to worthwhile service efforts. Teach your child to love all people, as Jesus does.

Fill your family and home with a natural atmosphere of worship and faith in Christ. Let you child see your faith in action through your happy family relations, your friendships, your service to others and your worship practices. Make your house a fun place to live. Allow the Holy Spirit to bear its fruit in you.

Don't offend a Little One

"The primary responsibility of parents," according to Lockyer, "is not to bring up their children and give them a good education, but to bring them to Jesus for salvation and blessing."

We should be educating our children about the gospel of Christ and what is means to them personally. And we should take special care in all our dealing with our children not to turn away from the loving relationship Christ wishes to share with them.

Notice the instruction Jesus Christ gives us: "Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matthew 18:5-6).

WHEN KIDS ASK ABOUT JESUS... As the father of a 6-year-old daughter, I'm eager to help Lillian know and love Jesus Christ as I do. I'm sure other Christian parents feel the same. From their birth, you try to exemplify Jesus' love in your own care for your children. You serve and teach them. You share family prayer and Bible study. And you assure them of how precious they are to our Lord and Savior. Kinds naturally wonder about the spirit realm. Seeing how important Jesus is to you, they'll ask about him. Will you be ready to answer? Use common sense. Gear your answers to the child's age and intellect. Answer straight from the Bible when you can; this will help your child learn to respect the book of books. Stress Jesus' love and mercy. Check your library or bookstore for helpful resources. One excellent guide to use with small children is 101 Questions Children Ask About God, by David R. Veerman, et al. Some samples: "Q.: Did Jesus really live just like me, or was he pretend? "A.: Jesus is real. He came to earth and was born as a baby.... And he lived like other ordinary people. Some stories we read and hear are made up and weren't meant to be taken as true. But the stories in the Bible really happened, and that's where we can read about Jesus. "Q.: Why didn't God just forgive everybody? "A.: It would not be right or fair for God to just forgive everyone. There is a penalty that must be paid for doing wrong. The penalty for sinning against God is death, eternal death. But God loved us so much that he sent Jesus, his only Son, to pay our penalty. Jesus did this by dying on the cross, in our place. Now everyone can be forgiven by trusting in Christ. "Q.: If Jesus died on the cross, how can he be alive today? "A.: Jesus lived as a real human being. Jesus' death was a real death, too (he really died on the cross)----the people who killed him made sure of that. When Jesus was killed, all of his followers were very sad. Jesus' body was put in a grave. But three days later, God brought Jesus back to life. Jesus showed his wounds to his disciples. Jesus lives in his special 'glorified' body in heaven today. Isn't that great? "Q.: Why does Jesus want us to follow him? "A.: Jesus told the people to follow him because he is the way to God...and eternal life. When Jesus was on earth, the disciples and others followed him by walking close to him and listening to his words. We follow Jesus by copying his example and by doing what he says."