July 9 (John 14:6)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (ESV)
He is one of the cutest little boys in the group my friend and
I shepherd at church. His face is full
of animation, and he loves to talk about basketball and play air hockey in the
youth room. He is about to enter third
grade, and his response to our discussion about obedience blew me away. As we talked with the boys about obeying God
in different situations, including telling others about Jesus, this young man
offered what for him was clearly the last word on the matter. “If people don’t believe in God, they will go
to the devil place.”
I loved it! He stated
the truth in the bold, matter-of-fact, bottom-line way that only a child will
use. Yet it did give me pause. What happens to muddy the waters for
adults? Why do we shy away from bold
declarations? It is no wonder that Jesus
asked that adults bring little children to Him and proclaimed that it was to
such that the Kingdom belonged (Luke
18:6).
Of course, that is the key.
It is not that only children have the qualities Jesus is looking for, but
only those with the perspective of a child.
Children seem to understand clearly that if X is right and Y is wrong,
you should tell people about X to avoid Y.
It really is that simple. There
is no greater right than Jesus Christ, and there is no greater tragedy than
spending eternity in hell separated from Him.
Do your friends and family know that?
Lord, help me to cast off the foolish social concerns of adulthood. Create within me a childlike innocence and passion for what is right. Make me as bold as a third grader when it comes to telling people about the offer of life in Jesus Christ, through Whose name I pray, amen.
Copyright © 2017 by Steven R. Perkins
