Blessed are the Children

Picture from CFA Children's Church

This Sunday we were treated with a presentation from our Children's Church. Now, this is an exciting arm of the church. With the children lined up between them and participating in the presentation, Susette an Ela shared with us their lessons for January. Now these folks had some great excitement going on. This alone could have been considered blessing enough, but on top of all this, I had the special honor doing baby dedications. This Sunday, I was privileged to do three! Jim and Elaine had almost all of their children at church with them. This included two of their grandchildren, Skylar and Conner. We also dedicated Brandi's son, Isaiah as his Grandother Donna looked on. Wow, isn't it grand?

We don't practice infant baptism nor christening in our church, but we do dedications, which properly understood are actually the dedication of parents and grandparents to live godly lives before the child. God established the importance of teaching our children in Deurteronomy 6:1-2

These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD
your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land
that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you,
your children and their children after them may fear the
LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his
decrees and commands that I give you,
and so that you may enjoy long life.

This is followed by a passage in verses 4 and 5, called by the Hebrews, "The Shema."

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart
and with all your soul and with all your strength.

He makes His message quite clear in the verses that follow, (6-9).

These commandments that I give you today
are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on
your children. Talk about them when you sit
at home and when you walk along the road,
when you lie down and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands and
bind them on your foreheads. Write them on
the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Simply put, God wants us to do more than just talk about serving Him. He is calling us to live daily for Him. Don't just talk the talk and expect that to miraculously affect your children. If you really intend to impact their young lives, you have to remember that they learn what they live with. What we need is both to profess and possess. Just a form of godliness will not do! We need the "power thereof." You can impact your children and grandchildren for Christ. Just live it everyday, one day at a time. Have a blessed day!