Proverbs 22

Proverbs 22:6   Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

This week has been a great week of Vacation Bible School.  Every night we have gotten together with a bunch of kids and have had a blast!  We’ve made crafts, played games, and had snacks, sang songs and danced around, participated in a missions project, but most importantly, we learned more about Jesus.  Through stories like Shadrach, Meshack, & Abednego, Daniel and the Firey Furnace, and Paul & Silas being in jail, we learned about how only God was able to get these guys out of their “shackles” and set them free.  God is the only one who can set us free from the “Shackles” of sin.

This week we have shown the Love of Jesus to these children.  We have read from Scripture and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have fed into these young people’s lives and for this we can be excited!  I’m so excited to see what God has planned for each and every one of these lives that we have touched this week. We have planted seeds and watered them and now God will make them grow!

As Christians we need to be showing God’s love to all those in our lives, especially the children.  They are our next generation.  Studies have shown that if people do not become Christians before their teenage years, the chance of their accepting Him as an adult is slim.  By the age of 13 our spiritual identity is largely in place.[1]  We need to embrace our role in “training up children in the way they should go!” 

Sometimes I think we don’t give kids enough credit.  I think they can grasp more about Jesus and God than we think they can.  We need to be teaching them Scripture and talking to them about God, His Character, and how they need to be more like Him.  We need to have higher expectations for our kids.  If we teach them a version of faith that is “Christianity-light,” then that’s what they will exhibit in their lives.  But if we teach them the absolute truth and expect them to start implementing that truth into their lives, they will live up to our expectations. 

Now I realize that we do need to teach children differently than adults, but what they are exposed to on tv and in the movies and even in the video games they play not only desensitizes them, but introduces them to topics like death and sin that we can build upon.  The world is definitely giving them one message.  We need to be giving them The Message and we can’t be afraid of delivering it in a powerful way.   

We need to fight for our kids.  We need to be louder with our message, the Message of Jesus than the world is with their message.  Go have some fun with the kids in your life!  But in addition to fun, make sure you are sharing the Light of the World!

I’m praying for you!

Pastor Amy

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[1] George Barna, “Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions”