Do Not Hinder the Children
In Philippians 3:12-16, we are exhorted to press forward in the Christian life. One of the applications that I have given in response to that message has been to have our children in church. Now, we could be legalistic about this issue, but I want to share with you the practical reasons for having our kids at church on a regular basis in this devotional and in next week’s.
The Lord Jesus famously said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” One thing that greatly displeases the Lord is keeping children away from Him. Ironically, some of the most common perpetrators of this expectation of our Lord are Christian parents. For the sake of making our children “happy,” we often do anything but attend church on Sundays. Whether it is going on trips, playing sports, or simply sleeping in, many of us are guilty of hindering our kids from going to the Lord. Have we displeased the Lord if we take a couple vacations a year? No, I don’t think so. But we do offend the Lord if we do not usher our kids to the Lord on a regular basis. We feed them, bathe them, clothe them, educate them, and ensure that they have plenty of exercise all on a regular basis. For that matter, we even make sure that they are entertained every day. Yet, how often do we consider either the positive or negative impact of church attendance on the health and well-being of our children?
I have been convicted about this vital part of parenting, and I hope you are as well. Maybe some of you have already raised your kids, but what about your grandkids and the other families in the church? In a culture that has turned so hostile against Christianity, I am convinced that we do not need less of God, we need more. We do not need less time in God’s Word, we need more. We do not need poorer church attendance, we need near perfect attendance. The same goes for adults and all of your family. Let’s not neglect worship, prayer, learning, sharing, encouraging, and accountability. Let’s not hinder our children from coming to the Lord.