These are 10 essential truths that are missed out on people who deal with children. Following these would enable the children to walk in Godliness and closer to God.
1. Be Godly ‘The wicked perish and are gone, but the children of the godly stand firm’ (Pr.12:7, NLT). The verse begins with the wicked and at the end talks on the children of the godly. If I had written the proverb, I would have written like wise, “The wicked perish and are gone, but the godly stand firm”. But it says children of the godly stand firm. If we are godly then the children will stand firm.
2. Be an example ‘Then Jesus said … The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach’ (Mt. 23:1-3, NLT). Action speaks louder than words; Children keenly watch all our moves. I remember an event that took place during my school days, it was the usual classroom, and the teacher walks in takes class and starts giving instructions and advice for us. Immediately a friend sitting next to me said, “Prince, we know this teacher and about his life, why should we be doing what he says, when he himself cannot follow them.”
3. Be a servant ‘You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because it is true. And since I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you’ (Jn.13:13-15, NLT). It was amazing to see Jesus washing the feet or bending so low, leaving his reputation of being their teacher. A question to ponder is, ‘Are we willing to bend low, leaving our ego, prestige and serve the little ones when they are so shabby and dirty.’ Sometimes it is so hard to touch a little child, since the nose will be dripping, the legs full of sand, hair filled with lice…
4. Be firm ‘So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong’ (Heb.12:12 & 13, NLT). There was a child, who wanted an ice cream. The child went to her mum, but the mother said, “No”. The child was very upset and tried to persuade her mum by all means. Finally the child decided to cry and immediately the mother gave in. This gave a picture to the child that mum is always flexible, and all she needs to do to get her wants is to cry. We might not be very perfect, even then we need to stand firm, since the scripture says, those who follow us, i.e. the children will stumble and fall, if we are going to be shaky, wobbly in our decisions and dealings. It will be stumbling block for the children, who look at us to follow.
5. Be an encourager ‘Brothers and sisters… Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone’ (1 Thes.5:14, NLT). Encourage the timid (Children), don’t yell at them. At times it’s difficult to distinguish between idleness and timidity. Two people may be doing nothing—one out of laziness and the other out of shyness or fear of doing something wrong. The key is sensitivity: sensing the condition of each person and offering the appropriate remedy for each situation. You can’t effectively help until you know the problem. ‘Preach the word of God. Be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching’ (2 Tim. 4:2). Encouragement is not only done by complimenting a child, but also through good and creative teaching. Most of the child workers don’t adapt to creativity and follow old and outdated methods. Children feel boredom and are discouraged. ‘Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds’ (Heb.10:24, NLT). Let the encouragement be an outburst of love, not just a responsibility or duty. Let it over flow of love and good deeds.
6. Be a recognizer and appreciator ‘Even the animals—the donkey and the ox—know their owner and appreciate his care, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still do not understand’ (Isa.1:3, NLT). When animals could appreciate their owner, why can’t we appreciate the children under our care? Recognize and appreciate for what they are? That will be a boast in their life to do things much better. Recognition and appreciation is something every human being longs for. And they do wonders when it comes to Children. Appreciate them publicly.
7. Do not condemn ‘God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it’ (Jn. 3:17, NLT). ‘God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to condemn your neighbor?’ (James 4:12, NLT). There is no right for us to condemn anyone.
8. Do not boss over ‘Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your good example’ (1 Pet. 5:3, NLT). This is something we all love to do, boss over. Give children freedom – let them have a free–will to make choices, only then they can know how to discern right from wrong. Children should be empowered to make their own.
9. Do not aggravate ‘Fathers, don’t aggravate your children. If you do, they will become discouraged and quit trying’ (Col. 3:21, NLT). While dealing with children, we should never aggravate, annoy, irritate, get on their nerve, pester, provoke and anger the children. Do not fan the flames of depression when children are feeling low and discouraged. The scriptures say, children will become discouraged and quit trying. ‘And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord’ (Eph. 6:4, NLT). Children must be handled with care. They need firm discipline administered in love. Don’t aggravate them by nagging, ridicule, or destroying their self-respect so that they quit trying.
10. Discipline of love ‘If you refuse to discipline your children, it proves you don’t love them; if you love your children, you will be prompt to discipline them’ (Pr. 13:24, NLT). The purpose of discipline is to help children grow. It takes lots of patience to deal with children in a loving, Christ-honoring manner. But frustration and anger should never be causes for discipline. Instead, we should act in love, treating children as Jesus treats us. Sometimes when children misbehave, there is always a tendency not to correct them, since a tag called ‘They are after all Children’ is built. But the scripture is very specific that if there is refusal on our part to discipline children, then it proves we do not love them.
Author: Mr. Prince Josiah Jeyaraj is an instrumentation engineer, currently serving as Director of Bridge of Hope – a holistic program for childcare development.
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