See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost."
Mt. 18:5,6, 10-14
Mk. 9:3637, 42
Lk. 17:2,3a
I read this passage several weeks ago for my devotions. It has stuck with me. I have lived by these words regarding children for years. I remember as a kid thinking that I had to stay true to God and not let the sin my parents were enticed with sway me. I feared that if I would go astray, they would be totally condemned.
The part that really stands out to me now is the part I highlighted in red. "In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost." It is my responsibility to guide the young and keep them close to God. I think of those that refuse to pick kids up for church because their parents should be bringing the kids on a Sunday. We don't want to enable them or become a babysitting service after all! I think about those really bad kids we come across at the corps... the ones we typically end up kicking out of the program. I think about the lice kids that we ban from the corps until they are clean again, which they never get cleaned because their home is invested too.
I am challenged today to go after that one that is "lost", whether they are bad, have lice, or live out of our range of pick-ups. I pray God constantly reminds me of this verse in the coming months and years that I live and minister.
2 comments:
This is good stuff. I have a story to share but it would be too long on a blog comment. Next time we see each other. It's about one of our "pick up" kids in our first appointment. God really taught me a lesson.
Great post! We have a few kids that come in our learning zone that are like this, some are 'bad' and some don't seem to be as well-kept as they should be. I hate thinking that, but it's the truth.
It is harder to give them the attention and stuff that they need, I too have been working on it. It's so hard dealing with disobedient kids escpessially!! Or is it just me? I hate it when they are upset with me, so maybe I don't inforce the rules or discipline them enough..but then again I don't want to be a 'police officer' all day long either.
I'll keep this post in mind. I'm so glad that these blogs and things are up, I learn a lot from them!! :)
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