Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Teaching Children About the Kingdom of God

Bible Reading:  Matthew 18:1-4

 

Key Verse: And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

DEVOTION

When our children were very young, their expressions towards us, their parents, were simple.  When I would leave for work they would often cry, sometimes clinging to my legs to keep me from leaving.  It was hard to continue on to the day’s responsibilities, and I would get into the car and drive to work with a heavy heart.  Upon my return, however, our children’s exuberance was the highlight of the day.  “Dada!” they would shout, and they would run to me, and fling themselves into my arms for a hug.

In Matthew 18:1-4, Jesus’ disciples ask who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and He responds by placing a child among them. This passage highlights the qualities Jesus desires for those in His kingdom. It involves humility, trust, and openness. When teaching children about the kingdom of God, we have to nurture these traits by guiding children to approach God with an open, trusting heart, free of pride or self-sufficiency. By fostering these qualities, we’re not only teaching children about the nature of God’s kingdom but also encouraging them to live in a way that reflects humility, dependence on God, and a heart eager to learn and love.

As parents we all work hard to raise our children, and to give them the best that we can give them in life. The challenge in these efforts, however, is to also raise our children to keep their childlike reliance and trust in God, even as we must strive to retain these characteristics ourselves.  Even if they no longer cry out for us, they must always cry out for God.  Even if they no longer run to us with exuberance, they must always run to Christ with a spirit of joy and longing.  As Jesus grew into adulthood, He no longer always found favor with His fellow humans.  And yet, even during the darkest and most painful moments of His earthly ministry, He never failed to cry out to His heavenly Father, or to glorify God in all things.  In the simplicity of this longing and childlike trust in God, in an all-consuming love for God, is the key to salvation.

 

PRAYER

Lord, our children are a gift from You, and it is to You that we must always lead them.  Give us the grace and wisdom to cultivate their love and devotion to You above all other things, so that we might lead them to an eternity in Your everlasting love.
 

Thought of the day

Our greatest gift to our children is a lasting, childlike devotion to God, which will sustain and guide them through all of life’s seasons.
 

Ajit Thomas
Carmel Mar Thoma Church, Boston

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