Let the Little Children Come

I am appalled how our world treats little kids. With the help of the internet and Facebook, I have seen many of articles go around about when life starts for a child or how a child was harmed/abused or how children are being neglected/abandoned.

Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Kids were important in Jesus’ eyes. But another verse shows how causing a child to stumble is a horrible sin. Mark 9:42 "If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

Yikes, that’s pretty huge.

I have heard people express how the world is and what God is doing (or not doing in their minds) about it. However it seems many times it is coming from how it affects them or their immediate families or social circles. It’s not much beyond that. I wonder if they have ever seen it from a child who was neglected or abused or abandoned.

Kids are the ones who seem to get to live most with the consequences of a sin they did not commit. Adults determine how life will be for them. They don’t get to choose where they will live, how their parents relate to each other and to them, what events they can attend, etc. Sure kids can influence more in some families or situations than others, but ultimately it’s the adults’ decision.

How many adults do you know that have made mention of how horrible their childhood was? Obviously what is done in their childhood still affects them to this day. And yet it seems we don’t remember that when it comes to influencing our children today, we forget that these decisions will have a lasting outcome into adulthood…interesting.

But I do believe kids are important to God. I do believe when one of them calls out because of legit pain from someone else’s sinfulness that God hears them and He will listen. The consequence may not be today it may not be tomorrow, but it will come if not repented of.

A few weeks back I was going to go to a kid’s event and help my mom with my sister’s kids (my sister was working that day). All the kids had runny noses so we just stayed in due to protocol. I really could have stayed at home with my daughter’s runny nose but decided I could just hang out with my niece and nephew. The two of them are two and under. Most folks may have thought big deal about spending the day with the kids, they won’t notice. But they did. It actually made their day and my daughter’s too. No matter what age kids are, they are still a big deal.