2021 Daily Devotion - Day 433

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Matthew 19:14 NIV
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.”

The following, is a recap of a conversation our daughter, Christine, had with her oldest daughter, Amy, 11 years ago when she was only 6.

"Mom, why are we Christians?"

"Because we love Jesus."

"But why did we decide to do that? Why are we Christians and not something else?"

"Well, we're Christians because that's what our family has always been. Nana's mommy and daddy were Christians; so were Papa's. And so were their moms and dads, and all the moms and dads as far back as anyone can remember."

"But why am I a Christian?"

(O, challenging questions, how I love them...)

"Well, there can be two parts to being a Christian. Sometimes the first part is because a mom and dad are Christians and so their kids are raised to be Christians, too. This is a big part of being a mom and dad. It is what my parents did, and it's what Daddy and I are doing for you and sissy. But the other part is deciding for yourself that you love Jesus, and you want to follow Him. That is the important part; making your own choice to be someone who loves Jesus and learns about what He taught."

"Is that why you go to Bible study at night?"

"Yes, so I can learn about the things Jesus taught the disciples."

"When I'm a grown-up, I want to be a Christian because I love Jesus."

"You don't have to wait to be a grown-up, honey. You can make that choice as a kid."

"But that's too hard for a little kid."

"Oh, I promise, it doesn't get any easier when you're a grown-up! Sometimes the stuff Jesus asks us to do is hard, even for grown-ups. And you must make the choice repeatedly because it's not easy to do all the things Jesus tells us to do. That's why we say prayers to Jesus – so He can help us with the things that are too hard to do by ourselves."

"I love Jesus, mommy."

"I know you do baby. Do you know why you love Jesus?"

"Because He loves me. Because He died for me on the cross."

Pray with me:
Lord God, we praise You for being fully in control of all things. We pray You would protect our children, keep them healthy and help them to thrive. Watch over our children in every area of their lives, and keep them safe. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Ed Shank
Mount of Olives Church Council, Building Committee Chairman
Mount of Olives Church
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