Jesus Loves The Little Children

For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth...Eph 5:9

ebrews 10:24-25 declares, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another...” This verse, in a nut shell, is the key to church growth and keeping our young families in the church. Yet, one area in which we often fail in godly edifying is in relation to little children and the families with little children.

It is very common to hear criticism from people, young and old, concerning the children in church. Such criticism often discourages young families and has a tendency to cause them to seek to worship elsewhere or not at all. In understanding the topic better, let us examine the text of Mark 10:13-16.

The Disdain Of Children

“And they brought young children to him. that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them” (Mark 10:13). Here we see the poor attitude and lack of patience of the disciples toward children. The disciples had apparently thought that since they had no time for the frivolous and playful little children, why should Jesus? This attitude is demonstrated in the previous chapter when the disciples argued with one another over who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven (Mark 9:33-37). They had become so self important that children were a burden and distraction to them. Often this is the attitude of many within the church today. They are so

consumed with self importance that they have no patience for children.

It is common to hear someone comment, in regard to a crying or fussy child, “Why don't they take that child out and spank it?” Though we do need to teach our children the importance of how to behave in worship, we would do well to remember that they are children and not miniature adults. Some will complain about the distractions that children in worship bring, yet it never ceases to amaze me how those same people become distractions themselves by talking, passing notes, and napping during worship.

If we are going to benefit by having young families in the church, we need to learn to tolerate families with young children. The Bible tells us in Psalm 127:3 that, “children are an heritage of the Lord...”. They're not just a blessing to the home, but also to the church. A church without children is a church without a future. Jesus said in Matthew 18:10, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; For I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

Rather than offering criticism, suggestions, or comments to the parents of young children, we should praise them for the effort they put forth to bring their children to services. Remember, if a parent receives criticism for bringing their children to worship, then they will usually stop bringing them.

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