Jesus has a special place in the depths of His abundant love for children. There is not a doubt in my mind. In Matthew 19:14, He beckons, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
The purest expression of Jesus' love towards us can be so easily reflected in the home that children make for Jesus in their hearts. It is simply amazing, and there are not adequate words to describe it. If you have never had the opportunity to interact with and serve in a children's ministry in some capacity, it truly needs to find its way onto your bucket list, and I mean that with every fiber of my being. You are missing out on so much.
Somewhere in our business and adulting we lose that faith and pure innocence of a child, and we, quite frankly, need to be reminded. Reminded of the child who is so faithful that they picture their heart as a literal house for a very small Jesus to live in and who sings "Jesus Loves Me" in the car and at school and everywhere. Jesus is their best friend, and it's as simple as that. Children's Ministry brings me back to that child inside of me, the one that so often times I desperately need to find, and I'm sure it does for you too. Here are some things you will inevitably learn from serving the children of God.
1. You Can Pray Any Time About Anything
We know that prayer matters; we even know that prayer makes a difference. But children get it the best. If you've ever listened to the prayers of preschoolers, you know all too well that Jesus can heal the neighbor's third cousin's cat. And He can, and He will if He wills it, but on a far more serious note, I've seen kids at church camp many, many feet up in the air, walking across a single rope on a rope's element and holding the hand of their partner, shaking to their core, scared to death, and echoing lies that they can't do it, they can't make it across, and then they stop and pray. And they do make it across. They conquer their fears. Their friends stop and pray too because they learned that if Jesus can help Nehemiah build a wall in 52 days, He can certainly help them across the rope. And I've seen their prayers answered time and time again. The weather isn't cooperating?.. Let's Pray! You don't feel so great?.. Let's Pray.
2. Jesus Is Your Best Friend
The beautiful thing about children is that they can form the most remarkable relationships in a matter of moments. You favorite color is pink, so is mine! Let's be friends. They are even more open to this idea that Jesus is their best friend, that He walks along side them every day. If they can become friends with strangers in a minute, just imagine the beauty of their friendship with Jesus. I think we adults sometimes get too caught up in the King and the Judge part of Jesus and forget that the God of Angel Armies is a friend of ours.
3. You Can Get Your Praise On At All Times
Children do not shy away from giving their all to their Lord, whether that be jumping up and down to a worship song or lifting their hands in surrender when they feel that Jesus is speaking to their hearts. They understand that there is nothing to be embarrassed about and that worship is more fun with motions. They don't get uptight and care what the people around them think. In that room it is them and Jesus, and it's so amazing to watch. What if we interacted with Jesus like no one was watching?
4. You Need Each Other
This life is tough, and there's no getting around that, nor will there ever be, but we need each other. Sometimes it's a "hold my hand" and other times an encouraging smile. But we all need the help of the person beside us to move forward and embrace Jesus and all that He has for us. A community of faith is such a powerful force. A chord of three strands is not easily broken.
5. Snacks Are A Gift From the Lord Above
Is it even a Jesus event if there aren't snacks involved? It all starts with Goldfish in the nursery, and the precedent never ever dies. Whether it's camp or a small group meeting, Jesus is definitely more likely to show up if there are snacks a plenty. And He'll for sure make an appearance if there's pizza involved. I think they get this from the story of feeding the 5,000 with a young boy's lunch. That story clearly means that Jesus, and children, and food go hand in hand in hand. Sometimes we just need to slow down, grab some coffee and a muffin (or Goldfish), and meet with our friend, Jesus.
Whether you've served in children's ministry or not, you know that Jesus is especially fond of children. They don't try to analyze or fix things, they just take Him as he is. I pray every day that God gives me unwavering faith like a child and that He does the same for you. There's a lot we can learn from the children of the Lord both big and small because there is nothing more beautiful than Jesus in the hearts of His children.
