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Ask your children what they hear in the Lord’s house
“We spare neither labors nor means in order to teach our children secular sciences, so that they can serve well the earthly authorities. Only the knowledge of the holy Faith, the service of the Heavenly King are a matter of indifference to us. We allow them to attend spectacles but we care little whether they go to Church and stand within it reverently. We demand an account from them of what they learned in their secular institutes—why do we not demand an account from them of what they heard in the Lord’s house?” (St. John Chrysostom)
Stop the Monday whining and complaining
Before I get to the point, let’s give all praise and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ for every spiritual blessing that we have in him. Let’s thank God for sending Jesus for our salvation and freedom from sin and death. Now let’s ask the Holy Spirit to lead us in all truth and keep us free from all deception.
Nowadays its profoundly common to see a meme on various social media websites which basically shows someone, usually a baby, crying and the words on the picture say, “It’s Monday again!”. Good grief, what stupidity has this world come to? Instead of motivating each other to face life bravely, some weirdo comes up with a cry baby version of starting the working week and this stupidity goes viral! When was the last time wisdom went viral? Can’t recollect it, right? Because all this stupidity is made to look funny and in the name of fun people pass it on to others to get a vain laugh. The devil uses people’s dependence on foolish entertainment to make them more foolish. There are three truths one must hold on to when any such memes about Mondays come up.
Firstly, there is no need to be sad about Mondays. Many people never got up on Monday because they died on Sunday. Be happy that you are alive on Monday. Why are you even feeling sad? Some complain that one has to go back to work. Really, is that the best excuse? You are going to work because you in your free will chose to get that job. If you are not happy with that, please give that job to the many people, in fact thousands of people who are unemployed for months. Not just about work, we have the kids and youth who complain about going to school or college on Mondays. Maybe these people don’t appreciate the fact that many other youngsters in the world do NOT have access to education and put to slave labour in which they are not paid at all. Yes this actually happens in certain Third world nations. Why does one have to be stupidly unhappy about the fact that you can do so much good on a Monday? No one good reason to be sad about it.
Secondly, there is no need to encourage others to be sad about Mondays. You are called to give hope to others. Is this how a person of faith should make others feel bad instead of telling them how to go forward in life? Either one is faithless or is simply into the hands of the sinful world to say that Mondays are times be in despair just because you have to face life at work, school or college.
Thirdly, we must live a life with our hope in God instead of whining and complaining all the while. The one who hopes in God knows that one’s earthly existence is only temporary. There is a time to pass into eternity and live in heaven in the presence of God and his holy angels where one will lack no good thing and will always be happy. That is if one truly believes unto the Lord Jesus Christ for his or her salvation. Now one might wonder, what is to be done in one’s times on earth. I’d say don’t spend it complaining and whining. Spending your time exaggerating your problems is not going to help anyone. Instead of glorifying your problems, start using wisdom in tackling them. There are lots of principles in the Bible that you could put to use to face your challenges in life, instead of posting your worries on social media or messaging to earn sympathies from some and ridicule from the rest who don’t care. Pray often and give your worries to the Lord God who cares for you. Don’t handle it alone.
A few scripture verses along with some explaining that should help you help in this regard. Here we go:
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22) (Being depressed is going to make you feel weak but if you are joyful you will be much relaxed.)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) (You are encouraged to bring all your fears and anxieties in prayer to God.)
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:1-3) (Impure passions causes quarrels and fights with others. Prayers said with impure motives are not acceptable to God. So pray with pure motives instead.)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) (In Christ Jesus, you have a lot of good works to do. Be grateful to God for that and keep doing those good things.)
Do not restrict children from coming to Christ
Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15)
Never ever be a legalistic person in trying to restrict children from coming to Christ. Because Jesus does not restrict himself to only the grown ups. He is there for the kids too. If a child wants to read the Bible or sing praises to God then you might as well encourage such things. There is nothing in the Bible that says to discourage kids from trying to learn about Jesus our Lord.
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 says this about teaching children the word of God; “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
No wonder, when a child wants to know about Jesus Christ do not give excuses saying that they are not come of age. Don’t delay their walk into the church services. Just think, how come the Evil One doesn’t bother about the age of children? He won’t hesitate to let children learn obscene language at school. He will try to make them focus too much on the TV instead of studies. So why make the Devil have a field day tempting children via the various deceptions of the world while you wait till the kids are grown up? Be a real soldier for Christ and cut off the plans of the Devil for your children. Teach your child about the Gospel. Teach them to be alert and prayerful. Most importantly teach them everything about Jesus Christ and his saving power.
I remember a preacher saying, ‘Christian youth are not the future, they are the present’. This couldn’t be more true. Why wait for Christian kids or youth to cross like 35-40 years to be zealous for God and so work for him? Instead you can always encourage them to do whatever little thing they can for the glory of God. Like singing in the choir, making Christian art work and poems, praying if they hear of someone in need etc. There’s always something good a child can do. All they need is the right direction and encouragement. This can happen best when they are aware of the grace and salvation that comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Never let them be denied this.
Christ be with you!