Thought for the Week - 25th March

Matthew 19: 13-15

Then little children were brought to Him that He might
put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me,
and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”
And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

There are lots of issues experienced by children today. We see in the Bible that the devil has a hatred of children. Twice we read that he makes a very particular move to destroy them – once at the time of Moses and the other at the time of Jesus. The enemy hates the innocence that is within a child. He knows if he pulls a child down in their youth, he can hold them for the rest of their lives.

When we look at the statistics around the issues experienced by children, scientific research shows childhood trauma has a huge impact on people’s mental and physical health as adults – not to mention the spiritual effects. So many children today experience neglect, isolation, or exposure to domestic or sexual abuse etc.

We now know that children who experience constant stress find themselves in a permanent state of heightened stress and agitation. They cannot relax, as their survival instinct is permanently switched on.

These are the children that we’re exposed to in our daily lives, whether it’s in our street, our community or our church. We need to take an interest in them, and make them welcome. We need to talk to them. We need to care.

The strategies recommended by the professionals include patience, forgiveness, appropriate discipline, boundaries. All these reflect one thing – good, old fashioned Christian love. We need to show these children the love of Christ.

We read in 1 Corinthians 13 the Bible’s description of love. This passage uses the word a certain word for love in this instance – agape. This sort of love is an unconditional love, and the only type of love the Greeks believed you could choose.

God chooses to love us in this way – unconditionally. In the same way, Christ commands us through Paul that we love in this way too.

Even if we have everything, if we don’t have love, it means nothing. Paul says even if we’re all powerful and are knowing, if we have no love it’s of no importance or significance.

We read that love is the thing that will last.

And just as those children need love, so do we. As humans, we crave it. As Christians, we’re building our lives on Christ – a foundation that is solid. We need to ask whether His love is in our hearts. Christ Himself tells us that in our relationship with Him we must become like little children. When we love it makes us vulnerable. There is only one person we can wholly trust with that – Jesus. He is bringing us towards Him. He wants to comfort us.

Wherever we are, we can come to Him. He can take all hurts and wounds away, and He can heal all things through His perfect love. He can change the very heart within us.

Amen.

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