The Invitation
Something my husband and I are adamant about is fostering faith at home. Not the usual morality-based do-this-and-do-that-because-God-says-so law-based faith, but a deep and life-changing faith based on how much God loves them, desires them, and is calling them to use their unique gifts even now to do miraculous things for His kingdom. We teach that we are not able to do good except for the good Jesus has already done for us. We are not able to love God except that through Jesus, God made His love known and made a way for us to love Him back. Our worship, our devotion, our love—all because of Jesus FIRST.
Jesus’ interactions with children in the Bible were also not morality based. “Come here, children, and sit on my lap because you do all the good things,” was not the invite. “Come here, because I am done with my workday and have finished all my other tasks and finally have time for you,” also was not the invite.
The invite is this, “Children, I am pausing my work among these adults, in the middle of this giant crowd who thinks you have less worth as human beings and asking you to just come and enjoy my presence while sitting on my lap without having to prove you are good-enough first to earn it.” That was and is the invitation.
I haven’t always understood children. I spent most of my adult life as a single or married-but-childless person. Our growing family came late in life, so I had a lot to learn about kids once we started our family. But my heart is growing and my understanding of their role in the Kingdom is growing. They are fertile ground for Kingdom principles. Their clay is shapeable. It’s not hard and resistant like the rest of us. And they ask the best questions that I hadn’t even considered!
God’s invite to our children to come and be in His presence is the same He extends to us. They are not an afterthought. They are not forgotten. If anything, Jesus lets us know that their unique child-like brains can grasp the kingdom of God better than us. We can learn from them, their deep trust and simple devotion to a God who calls them not as an afterthought, but as a treasured child of God.
Leah Carolan
Director of Worship & Media
