“For there is no partiality with God.” – Romans 2:11
The Bible tells us that children are a gift from God. How proud and happy we are when we look down in a baby’s face and see the miracle God has made! We become so attached to the little ones He has placed in our care! It becomes easy to think of them as only “our” children when they are loved by God as His own. Our desire should be to make sure they become His children through acceptance of Jesus as their personal Savior.
God has no partiality among people and neither should we be partial to some children over others. It isn’t easy to show no preference to the children God has placed in our earthly family over the children in other families. Yet, as adults working with children, that is what God expects of us. I remember when our youngest son was in Cub Scouts. His dad had to commute to work and couldn’t find time to help with the troop. It seemed that all the awards went to the son of the scoutmaster! It hurt.
God sent His son for all children as told to us in John 3:16. Children whose parents do not attend church are at a disadvantage. It is tempting to brag on some children and not spend as much time helping others.
A pastor of a large church in Texas tells of how his parents did not take him to church when he was a child. His Sunday School teacher picked him up each Sunday and took him. When there was a potluck or special occasion, she made extra food and told him she would pick him up and take him. We never know where kindness will lead.
A youth leader once told me how he got upset with a teen boy for saying something bad about his son one night at church. He scolded the teen and sent him home. One has to wonder what happened to the teen boy who needed help in knowing Jesus and the way of kindness.
A real challenge for workers with children in church is helping the “church kids” and those coming from unchurched families get along. It is difficult to meet the needs of both. The “church kids” have learned more about the Bible and know most of the answers to questions. The “unchurched” kids feel badly because they don’t know as many answers and thus don’t get as much attention. The need for the “unchurched” is to learn the Bible. Let’s be honest, don’t many of our “church” kids need to learn to be kind, nice, friendly, and receptive to the “unchurched”? Which is more important? Is it more important to know the Bible stories or to be kind and loving? A skillful worker will teach both.
God not only loves the children he has placed in our families; he loves the children He has placed in the care of adult workers just as much. He is wanting us to love all children just as he does and show no favoritism.