The Weekly Word: A child’s perspective

By Coulter Page, Senior Pastor, Bethany Alliance Church

This week at Bethany Alliance Church we are charging forward hard. We kicked off SummerU! around here as we get an opportunity to invest in kids from 5:30-8:15 every evening throughout this week. It is an extremely fun week while being extremely draining all at the same time.

I am reminded once again of the example that kids can set for us as we head into life. I look out at the kids in the large group worship time and see excitement and passion for God. I observe kids as they head into courses and see their hunger to learn. I witness kids, who are too little to have jobs, somehow raise hundreds of dollars to change the world for Christ. As I see this all taking place, I am drawn back to a story in Luke: “Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’” (Luke 18:15-17 ESV) In a culture where kids were looked down upon and seen as second-rate citizens, these words from Jesus were profound. He was telling everyone that, first, kids were valuable to him. No matter your view of Jesus, here he was saying that kids matter. Here he was telling everyone that kids are important.

How do you view kids? Do you see them as an important part of God’s creation or a nuisance? Do you see them as holding value and significance or do you see them as less than? If you want to have the heart of Jesus, then you will see kids as significant.

Jesus was also shouting something else out in this story. He was telling everyone present that, not only are kids valuable,but they are an example. He states, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Luke 18:17).When we look at kids, they can teach us so much.