Reflect

In 2 Kings 5:2-6, 9-14, Namaan’s listening to the servant girl’s faith was the beginning of his healing. The faith of children is incredible—just visit a children’s hospital like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (after the pandemic is over). Children are too young to be as skeptical as grown-ups. As Jesus said, we would all do well to have faith like children. Unfortunately, many of us have childish faith. What’s the difference?

Childish faith says: Good Christians don’t suffer disappointment. God helps those who help themselves. God wants to make us happy. God always answers prayers. Mature Christians have all the answers. Good Christians are always strong. Childlike faith says: God uses our disappointment to make us better Christians. God helps those who admit their own helplessness. God wants to make us holy. Sometimes God answers prayers with “no” or “wait.” Mature Christians can wrestle honestly with tough questions because they trust that God has the answers. Strength comes from admitting weakness.

—Andy McClung

Question

1. How often do most adults really listen to what a child has to say? How often do you? Do you think children have anything significant to say?
2. Can stewardship apply to the use of children in the church’s programming? What opportunities does your congregation have for ministry by children to others?
3. What has been the greatest act of faith in your life? Was it difficult to put faith in God into that situation? What was the result?
4. When was the last time you tried to look at something with childlike eyes?

Act

1.  Ask your children’s ministry team to present a proposal to session for some type of ministry by children. One idea may be to have a bike-a-thon to support St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Or you might take a child to a nursing home to visit even if it is through a window or door. Develop others significant ministry events.
2. Read a few children’s books to recapture a sense of wonder. If you have small children, read aloud to them. C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia and Madeline L’Engle’s Wrinkle in Time are excellent series. Volunteer to read for “children’s time” in your library or at a bookstore. Try your hand at writing your own children’s stories.
3. Share your faith story with the children in your family and congregation. Far too often, we have heroes of the faith right in our own congregations whose stories die with them.
4. Seek out every opportunity to spend quality time with children. Listen, watch, and learn from them the meaning of the word faith.

Photo by Picsea on Unsplash