Every young person in church should know that every person in church loves them.
By Dishon Mills, Pastor, Steele Creek, NC
Recently, I was blessed to have an amazing conversation with one of our youngest members. For those who do not know, three-year-olds are amazing conversationalists. When they speak, there are no agreed upon topics or logical transitions. They just have a type of stream-of-consciousness way of speaking. Whatever pops into their mind comes out of their mouth. After discussing a broad range of topics, the boy asked, “Do you love me?”
Without skipping a beat, I looked him in the eyes and said, “Yes. I love you.” Onlookers may have thought I started to cry, but (ahem) the pollen was really bad that day. Allergies … just allergies. I went on to say, “Everyone here loves you because God loves us.”
He was surprised. “Everyone here loves me?”
I said, “Yes, everyone here loves you. You are surrounded by friends.” He thought about that for a moment before moving on. The conversation went on a little while longer, and then he got interested in something else. Before leaving, he gave me a big hug and the pollen got to me again! Allergies!
The conversation got me thinking, and I asked myself, “Whose job is it to make sure our children know that they are loved?” Of course, loving their children is the major responsibility of a parent. Certainly, those who disciple our young people should communicate their care. But is that it? Is loving children the duty of parents and designated children’s ministers? Or is it the responsibility of the entire congregation?
In Proverbs 22:6, we read, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it (NIV).” I used to think “the way they should go” referred to behavior discipline and biblical teaching. I no longer think that way. Now, I believe that the best way for any human to go is towards God. He is our ultimate good. And the word that best describes God’s essential nature is love. So, the best thing that we can do for our children is to help them recognize, move towards, and reflect God (Love). We must teach them to walk in the way of love.
That is a job that is too big for just parents and those who serve in the children’s ministry. Raising a child in the way of love is the work of the entire congregation. Otherwise, if only the children’s ministry shows love for the children, what happens when they graduate the program? What happens when they go to college or start working without knowing that those in the church love them? Or, worse yet, what happens when members of the congregation treat them in unloving ways? What incentive does that give them to pursue a deeper relationship with God? This is why I have started to encourage all of our members to verbalize their love for our children. I want each young person to know that everyone here loves them because God loves us. What better way to put them on the path that leads to Jesus?
What would happen if every member of your congregation took a step to proactively communicate to your young people that they are loved? What if we demonstrated for them that God is love? What would that do for our children? I pray that we would find many ways to say everyone here loves you. And I pray that as they get older, they never want to depart from God’s love.
