Children learn Christian values and principles through different circumstances, or simply by observing our way, or not, of acting, as we influence the lives of those around us in a negative or positive way, especially the little ones.
The first years of life are crucial for child development, being the basis for everything that will follow. This is a fundamental period, in which the brain has great plasticity to remodel, having a greater predisposition for learning.
When the child has an encounter with God, through his life transformation, the family can also be reached. For a child, it is not enough to provide sustenance and comfort, love and emotional care are indispensable, and that’s what Jesus taught us!
Today, we see that children who suffer different difficulties such as physical and mental disabilities, malnutrition and poverty, violence, drugs, various diseases, and social injustice, are more likely to lose their lives to such factors. It is also sad to see that children are easy targets to be hit and massacred with deceptive ideas, thoughts, and philosophies that want to harm their lives.
We cannot continue idly watching in the media that our little ones are victims of worldly atrocities, they need love and policies that guarantee their integrity. We need to act on their behalf today if we want to see a better world! It is what we teach them today, with our words, and especially with our conduct and witness, that will mark what kind of people and churches they will be. The future is built in the present.
Remember: a child has his whole life to serve the Lord!!!! It is necessary to prioritize them because it is through them that we will build a new paradigm for the world of today and tomorrow. That’s why we urgently need to bring children to Jesus, without using excuses like “later”, “when you grow up”, “when you understand the things of God”, etc.
The time is now! We need to have the doors of our hearts, temples, and all their facilities open to provide services and be instruments of salvation and restoration for the community around us. We have to make a difference, especially for the entire children’s community. A Church that cares about children is a church that cares about its present and its future!
“Let the children come to me and do not hinder them;” (Luke 18:16)
A hug full of gratitude from your missionary
Lidia Klava da Silva
Translated by Letícia Pedrosa Rodrigues
