Investing in Kids
This week, some of the youngest members of our community are spending some intentional time learning more about God and his word at our annual Kids Camp. The importance of investing in children can often be overlooked and neglected, but the Bible has some specific things to say about how we are to serve and instruct the kids in our lives. Solomon left us a proverb that says, “Start a youth out on his way; even when he grows old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). In Deuteronomy, the Israelites were told to take the words God planted in their hearts and “repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut. 6:6–7). God clearly did not want the youngest members of our society to be forgotten or ignored.
“We should never underestimate the importance of what kids learn.”
These instructions that deal with our obligations to kids are why we have children’s ministries in churches and special activities like Kids Camp. They’re all meant to lead to a child’s growth in the Lord. Yet, organized church events should not be the only place where kids are introduced to God and instructed in his ways. Parents, understandably, have an important responsibility as the primary caregivers for their children. And if you’re a parent reading this, know that your kids are the first people you should be discipling.
Even if you aren’t a parent, the growth of kids should matter to you too. As the Lord leads you, there are opportunities for you to invest in kids around you, whether that’s through working with kids, taking care of your nieces and nephews, or hanging out with your friends’ kids on occasion instead of selfishly guarding your “adult time.” If those kinds of opportunities don’t arise for you very often, though, you can still keep in mind that the ministry you do toward the adults in your life is not just for their sake, it’s for the sake of their kids as well. Those kids will be shaped by their parents, who are being shaped by you. And one day, those kids will be the adults who are shaping the children behind them. Every person matters, so we should never underestimate the importance of what kids learn in the earliest stages of their lives.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to invest more in children, you can sign up to learn more about serving in our ECCO ministry here.