By Allen White
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there. Matthew 19:13-15
Most people come to Christ as children. In fact, 80 percent of all Christians make the decision to follow Christ before they are 12 years old. That was true for me.
While I can’t remember not being a Christian, I do remember making a decision for Christ 40 years ago. That seems like a long time. Of course, I was seven at the time.
Why are children more responsive to the Gospel? Well, for one, they don’t have to deal with the complexities of life and the big questions that weigh on adults. While children today are exposed to so much, so early, they have a certain innocence and simplicity of faith. Now, they will certainly wrestle with weighty issue in their teen years and especially in college, like we all did, but a child sees the world much differently than an adult.
Children are more creative, more imaginative. If adults possess the creativity of a child, we either label them as eccentric or genius or both. Adults must work hard to fit in. Children are far more comfortable with who they are.
Children have so much fertile soil for the Gospel. They are open to spiritual things. They are accepting of what seems impossible for adults. Adult lives are full of weeds. Much like the Parable of the Soils (Matthew 13:1-13), the cares of this world tend to crowd out life-giving faith. This is true, even for believers. When was the last time you thought or said that something couldn’t happen?
So, two conclusions here. First, we all need to nurture the faith of the children in our lives. This might mean volunteering in a class at church. Every church needs volunteers. Adults may seem easier to work with, but working with children is far more rewarding.
Secondly, you and I need to become more childlike in our approach to God. We serve a God who can, not a God who can’t. We serve a God who will, not a God who won’t. We serve a God who dreams big, not a God who thinks small.
When was the last time you dreamed big? When was the last time you might have embarrassed yourself a little with your enthusiasm? When was the last time you realized the Creator of the Universe wants to do big things in your life? Hold on to the child-like dream. Don’t let the weeds choke it out.
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