In so many different ways Christmas is about children. We (my wife and I) have just been blessed with our 7th grandchild. Most of my life has been about recognizing just how much children are a gift of God. As a dad, a Youth Pastor for over 20 years, and as a high school coach for over 25 years. I am continually reminded that God’s Word makes that very clear just how special children are.
Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3, NLT
As we were visiting our newest granddaughter for the first time this month it was again a reminder of just how special children are, especially this time of the year. My wife is a gift giver, she loves to give gifts, and now our grandchildren are the benefits of those gifts. When our children were younger, they were those kids who would get up extremely early to begin to open gifts Christmas morning. They were always amazed with the number of gifts that were under the tree.
The amazing part with Christmas is not that it is just about children and gifts, but it is specifically about the gift of a Child. Gift-giving is an expression of love, and God loves us so much He gave us His Son (John 3:16).
This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10, NCV
As we look at this gift of the Christ child, and as we look at our own children this Christmas season I hope you realize how important you are to them. Here are a few quotes that I thought was important to consider:
“Children are great imitators. So, give them something great to imitate.” — Anonymous
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” — Dr. Seuss
“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” — Billy Graham, evangelist
“Children are our most valuable resource.” — Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States
“If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry to reaching children for God!” — Dwight L. Moody, evangelist
In my book I mentioned a few times how important family and marriage is to children. Consider Jesus words when He says, “If one of these little children believes in me, and someone causes that child to sin, it would be better for that person to have a large stone tied around the neck and be drowned in the sea” (Matthew 18:6), and then later, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them” (Matthew 19:14). I want to encourage you to at least pause and consider your responsibility to your children. Why? Because, children matter to God. Your children really matter to God. Your children have been given to you as a gift from God for you to provide, protect and prepare them for the life that they will face.
Broken families and divorce have greatly affected this precious gift. All children are a gift from God and we owe it to them not to hinder them. And yet the facts on divorce are overwhelmingly clear that children and their emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing are at times drastically impacted by divorce. For some, this impact effects the rest of their lives.
It is not my desire to bum you out with all of the statistics about the effect on children, but when we understand they are a gift from God and He tells us not to hinder them then I do think it is important to have a clear understanding of the potential consequences to them. It is obvious that a large number of children of divorced parents survive the experience and later become capable and stable adults. But it is also becoming increasingly evident that many children of divorced parents are at risk for developing detrimental behaviors, personality disorders and disruptive lifestyles.
This Christmas give the gift of love, hope and peace that comes from a healthy marriage.
Children are a gift from the Lord. Don’t make your children bitter about life. Instead, bring them up in Christian discipline and instruction. Psalms 127:3; Ephesians 6:4, GW
