Children can truly amaze you with what they know when you think they wouldn't. When you think they are not listening, they are. Children can hear everything you say and see everything you do, you might think they didn't hear what you said or just see what you did until they repeat what you said and do what you just did.
I am living this right now where my 2 going 3 years old and 4 going on 5 years old, not only are they listening and doing what my husband and I do, but my daughter will repeat everything her big brother will do. There are moments when my husband and I will slip and say something that shouldn't have been said and it is of course to late to take it back, especially when your kids are sitting there and repeat you. You then have to explain to them that what mommy and daddy said was bad and that we shouldn't have said it, you can't really discipline them for what you did.
I have just in the last few months noticed how much my children pay attention to my husband and I, especially over the Christmas holidays. For Christmas, my son and daughter bought me earrings and a heart-shaped necklace that you could put little charms in it, but these weren't just any kind of necklace and earring. The earrings were of crosses and the necklace had my daughters favorite color pink gems, and my favorite color green gems and a charm that says mom but one charm the stuck out the most to me was a cross charm with little green stones in. My kids could have picked anything out but they chose those and it really showed me how much they have paid attention. When I am sitting at the kitchen table or when I am at my in-laws sitting at their dining room table doing my bible studies, the kids will come in and say " Mommy are you studying your Bible" or my daughter will look at me and say " This your Bible mommy". To some, this might not mean a lot but to me it does, when I was growing up I didn't have the upbringing of going to church and growing my relationship with the Lord. So I always told myself that when I have kids, I want them to have had a relationship with the Lord. It was and still is something that I have very strong feelings about with my kids being in church and learning.
Our children are wonderful gifts from God, they are full of so much innocence, joy, and laughter. You can learn so much from children then you think you can. They are like sponges and absorb so much information from the day to day interactions with people. When my son has to remind us, adults, that we need to pray over our food then I know that I am doing something right with him. Us adults let our lives become so busy that we forget what is important until a child reminds us.
Tonight my son and daughter were playing with their kitchen set and they decided to bring down their food and set up the coffee tables as if they are having a feast. They both came running into the kitchen and asked me to come and sit with them and have the wonderful meal they prepared with they play food. As I was finishing up what I was doing my daughter came back into the kitchen and look at her bother and I and said we need to pray. She kept repeating it until we were all seated around the coffee table and she put her hands out for us to take and she said " Jesus, thank you for this food. Amen" Now as a parent this really touched me so deeply and made me cry inside, to know that your kids want to have a relationship with the Lord, is truly the most amazing feeling. As we were sitting there I asked them " What are you thankful for" and my son looked at me and said " I am thankful for God" I pray that my child as they grow up will want to keep growing in Lord.
Matthew 18:2-6 AMP says:
"2 And He called a little child to Himself and put him the midst of them, 3 And said, Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children (trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving), you will never enter the kingdom of heaven (at all) 4 Whoever will humble himself therefore and become like this little child (trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving) is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives and accepts and welcomes one little child like this for My sake and in My name receives and accepts and welcomes Me. 6 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in and acknowledge and cleave to Me to stumble and sin (that is, who entices him or hinders him in right conduct or thought), it would be better (more expedient and profitable or advantageous) for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be sunk in the depth of the sea."
We as parents, teachers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc... we are the ones that children look up to and they do and say what they see from us. We are not perfect by any means but its something we all need to work on, I will be the first to raise my hand and say "Yes, I have said and done things in front of my kids that I know I shouldn't have, and it is something I keep working on every day." I myself am the one I have to blame and remind my kids that they shouldn't do whatever they did that they weren't supposed to.
My kids sometimes are the ones that remind me that I shouldn't have done that or said that.
One thing we don't allow our kids to say is "Oh My God" and that they have to say "Oh My Gosh" instead. Well, there was one day that my mother in law did something and she said "Oh My God" and my daughter looked at said, " Don't say that Meme." She knew that saying that was not allowed. This is where our children can listen and can remind us of things that we forget.
I just recently did a Bible lesson with my son a week ago and it was on Us VS the World and it was a teaching on how we should be like the world and that when we become the world we are letting sin into our lives. The lesson had a demonstration with it, you took water, oil and red food coloring. The Water represented the World, Oil represented Us and the Red food coloring represented Sin. So my son and I poured the water in and then poured the oil in, I explained to him how the oil separates from the water. Then we added the red food coloring and I then explained to him how the red doesn't mix with the oil, that just slides through but once it gets into the water that it turns the water red. We then took a spoon and stirred the everything together and told him that sometimes we sin and we become like the World, so we need to repent by asking Jesus for forgiveness. As the water and oil started to separate I told him that once we ask Jesus for forgiveness for our sins, we can separate from the "World" and that we are making the decision the not let the devil take over our lives anymore.
After everything separated, We took a flashlight and shined it through the oil and through the red water, and saw how the light won't cut through the red water but it really lights up the oil.
We did this lesson again this past weekend and before we started it I asked him what the water, oil and red food coloring represented and he told me, then he was asked again tonight and he told me all the right answers.
In Matthew 5:14 says:
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden."
and in 1 John 4:1-11 says:
"4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know and recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source]; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus [acknowledging that He has come in the flesh, but would deny any of the Son’s true nature] is not of God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is now already in the world. 4 Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind]. 5 They [who teach twisted doctrine] are of the world and belong to it; therefore they speak from the [viewpoint of the] world [with its immoral freedom and baseless theories—demanding compliance with their opinions and ridiculing the values of the upright], and the [gullible one of the] world listens closely and pays attention to them. 6 We [who teach God’s word] are from God [energized by the Holy Spirit], and whoever knows God [through personal experience] listens to us [and has a deeper understanding of Him]. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know [without any doubt] the spirit of truth [motivated by God] and the spirit of error [motivated by Satan].
7 Beloved, let us [unselfishly] [a]love and seek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience]. 8 The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.] 9 By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath]. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us [in this incredible way], we also ought to love one another. Think before you say " Oh they won't remember any of that or they aren't paying attention to what we are doing or saying so there is nothing to be worried about." In the end, they remember, and pay attention to everything.
Our children have more faith then we do sometimes and they lead by example.
So hug your children and show them the love that they need and remind them that not only do you love them and will be there for them, but God loves them and will never leave them. There are children out there that don't have faith in their homes and that don't have the love and care that they need. Please pray for your children and for all of Gods children out there.
Lord,
I come to you tonight to guide your children tonight and show them that you are there and will never leave them or forsake them. Give the children out there tonight that are in need of love and strength. Touch your people and heal them in whatever they need healing in, Lord. I praise you Jesus and Love your beautiful name.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
