Child Dedication - Things we can do
God sees children as important. They are a blessing. Psalm 127:3-5 is clear:
Behold, children are a HERITAGE from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a REWARD.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them…
Bible - has high regard for kids.
This is fantastic news for in biblical times children are not as well regarded as they ought to be.
Jesus apparently regarded children to be important in God’s kingdom.
Matthew 18:1-6 (NLT)
About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”
2 Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. 3 Then he said, I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. 5 And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. 6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.
Children are precious so dear to God’s heart that He commands that adults are to tell the children to love God and have a correct view of Him.
Deut.6:4-9 (CEV)
4 Listen, Israel! The LORD our God is the only true God! 5 So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. 6 Memorize his laws 7 and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time, whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night, or getting up in the morning. 8 Write down copies and tie them to your wrists and foreheads to help you obey them. 9 Write these laws on the door frames of your homes and on your town gates.
This priority to children is reflected in the way God views all the people belonging to Him
I John 3:1 (NLT)
Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are.
Things we can do for our kids are:
1. Pray
A. Pray for our children
Lots of people come to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior before age 18.
B. Pray for workers
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So
pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields.” Matt. 9:37-38 (NLT)
2. Practice
A. Set a godly example for children
Colossians 3:12-19 (NLT)
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.
18 You wives must submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. 19 And you husbands must love your wives and never treat them harshly.
We’ve all heard the expression that when you have children you
have a tape recorder in your house. For the most part that is true,
not everything your says comes from your home. But we have to
know that there are hungry ears and eyes that are watching and
listening to what we say and how we act and react.
3. Provide
A. Provide financially for ministry to children
2 Cor.9: 6-7 (NLT)
6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.
B. Provide varied ministries to children
Examples: Wed. nights Pioneer Club, Sunday school, Small Groups, Vacation
Bible School, Backyard clubs, etc.
We need to be creative in our ways to reach the children.
C. Provide an atmosphere of unconditional love.
John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
34“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Ephesians 6:4
4 And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord. (NLT)
Below are some children’s responses compiled by a Christian psychologist on what provokes a child to anger and think what u can do to avoid these responses as you love your kids.
1. Lacking interest in things that are special to me.
2. Breaking promises.
3. Criticizing unjustly.
4. Allowing my brother and sister to put me down.
5. Misunderstanding my motives.
6. Speaking carelessly.
7. Punishing me for something for which I already had been punished.
8. Telling me that my opinions don’t really matter.
9. Giving me the feeling that they never make mistakes.
10. Not being gentle when pointing out my weaknesses or blind spots.
11. Lecturing me and not understanding when all I need is some support.
12. Never telling me “I love you.” Never showing me psychical affection.
13. Not spending time alone with me.
14. Being insensitive, rough.
15. Being thoughtless.
16. Never telling me “thank you.”
17. Not spending time together.
18. Being insensitive to my trials.
19. Speaking harsh words.
20. Being inconsistent.
21. Being taken for granted.
22. Being told how to do something that I was doing on my own.
23. Nagging me.
24. Bossing me.
25. Feeling unnoticed or unappreciated.
26. Being ignored.
27. Not considered a thinking and feeling person.
28. Being too busy to care for me and listen to me.
29. Dismissing my needs as unimportant, especially when their work or hobby is more important.
30. Bringing up old mistakes from the past to deal with present problems.
31. Teasing excessively.
32. Not noticing my accomplishments.
33. Making tactless comments.
34. Liking me only for my physical looks or abilities, instead of what’s inside of me.
35. Being disciplined in harshness and anger.
36. Being corrected without being reminded that they love me.
37. Not being praise and appreciated.
38. Getting my hopes up to do something as a family and then not following through.
39. Not reasoning with me, and never giving me an explanation of why I’m being disciplined.
40. Misusing brute force.
41. Reacting to me in the opposite way I think a Christian should treat me.
42. Raising their voices to each other.
43. Using foul language when they are upset with me.
44. Saying “no” without giving a reason.
Final Thought:
Our children are precious. We have to understand that we have been given in their young age, a window of opportunity to affect and influence them to become lovers and followers of Christ.
