A Window of Time
April 15, 2019
He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. 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. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! Matthew 18:2-7
The scholars and researchers who work with human development tell us that a child’s value system is established by the age of 13. Of the people who identify as Christians, 80% of them come to know Christ by the age of 18.
Jesus, our Creator, knew the intimate details of human development. He knew that what goes on in the life of a child affects not only their lives on this planet, but it directs their eternal destiny. No wonder He spoke so directly to the disciples and the people listening on the fringes. The disciples tried to scatter the “insignificant” children to keep them and their parents from bothering Jesus. In Matthew 18, Jesus tells us that how we care for these shapeable, malleable young ones has an impact on the world.
- Childlike vulnerability, receptivity, and humility are attractive, and enable us to be part of His kingdom.
- Our greatness is inextricably linked to our willingness to embrace those qualities.
- How we treat the young ones directly impacts our own futures.
- Jesus said it would be far better to be drowned than to do anything that causes a young person to be driven away from Him. That would include our neglect.
We have a brief window of time to make a difference in the lives of young people so precious to Jesus. Every young person must have a consistent leader who loves and follows Jesus and invests intentionally in their life. It’s the most fulfilling and rewarding way to live.
- Who will remember you 20 years from now as a person who invested in his/her life?
- What are you going to do this week that will up your investment?