“I tell you the truth, anyone who does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15
This scripture tells me that childhood is the time that God designed for us to receive the Gospel. Children have hearts that are sensitive to the Holy Spirit. They are created with natures to believe.
I love what Charles Haddon Spurgeon says in his book Ministering to Children about this scripture: “Say not, the child may not come till he is like a man, but know that you cannot come till you are like him. It is no difficulty in the child’s way that he is not like you; the difficulty is with you, that you are not like the child. Instead of the child needing to wait until he grows up and becomes a man, it is the man who must grow down and become like a child.”
Some people say that we should not try to influence kids to make a decision for Christ because kids are so easily influenced.
They reason, “Let the kids grow up, and then they can make a real decision that will last.”
This is a huge mistake.
It’s true that children are easily influenced. The truth is that kids are going to be influenced, so why not influence them for Christ?
I believe that God created children with soft hearts so that we could influence them with the Gospel.
We should present the Gospel on a regular basis to the kids in our class. Salvation is not the only subject we should teach, but it is the most important.
If a child receives Christ, make a big deal about it:
- Come up with a way you can celebrate their spiritual birthday with them.
- Create a book or handout to put in their hands immediately after they pray.
- Take some time to communicate with parents that their child received Christ.
Kids are so sensitive sometimes that they will come forward a second time to receive Christ, but I will only pray with them one time.
I ask them, “Have you asked Jesus in your heart before?” If they have already received Christ, I do not pray with them a second time. I con rm that they are already saved and that Jesus will never leave them. I want the kids in my class to be con dent in their salvation experience.
Next time you see them, make sure to tell them that you are proud of them for making a commitment to Jesus Christ. Reaffirm their salvation experience every time you get the opportunity.
