Because our church held its annual week of Vacation Bible School last week, children are front and center on my mind—their place and importance in our lives, and the urgency that ought to characterize our ministry to them in the matter of their soul-salvation.
Some argue that small children are too young to reasonably be expected to make crucial decisions as to their soul’s eternal destiny. Others retort that reaching a child whose heart is tender, and whose mind is not yet radically infected by anti-Christ indoctrination, must be our priority.
You have probably read the startling statistic that 19 out of every 20 people who ever get saved do so before they reach the age of 25. Pastor R.G. Lee (1886-1978) once wrote about a survey of 4,500 people who were present at a meeting. The results: 400 were saved before they were 10 years old; 600 professed Christ between 12 and 14; 600 were saved between 14 and 16; 1,000 accepted Christ between 16 and 20 years of age; 25 were saved after 30 years of age; and 1,875 were unsaved.
A speaker related that “I tried my best not to act surprised and retold the story, but it left me stunned. I realized how little of the Bible the average person knows these days. Child Evangelism Fellowship reports that 60 to 80 percent of children in America are unchurched. That means that most kids have never heard a clear and compelling presentation of the Story. The only thing they know about Jesus and the gospel is what they hear on TV and in the movies, and most of those references are just for making fun. If ever we need to pull together as a group of Christ-followers—especially among our pastors and leaders—to do more, to reach more, now is the time.” (Author unknown)
Now is the time because, “Whatever you write on the heart of a child, no water can wash away. The sand may be shifted when billows are wild, and the efforts of time may decay. Some stories may perish, some songs be forgot; but this graven record, time changes not. Whatever you write on the heart of a child, a story of gladness or care, that heaven has blessed, or earth has defiled, will linger unchangeably there. Who writes it has sealed it forever and aye, he must answer to God on the judgement day.” (unknown)
Nineteenth-century evangelist D.L. Moody was conducting a meeting in England when he returned, one evening, to the home where he was staying. The father said, “Well, how many were converted tonight?” “Two and one-half,” said Mr. Moody. His host smilingly said, “Two adults and a child, I suppose.” “No, two children and one adult. The children gave their whole lives, and the adult had only a half of his left to give.” (Selected)
Author and pastor David Jeremiah understood the need to model the Biblical attitude toward children when he said: “God places children in our lives so we can lead them to Him. Being a parent isn’t just a job—it’s a joy! If you want to see a future preacher, leader, missionary, or hero, just sign up to work in the church nursery. When God gives us children, He gives us the privilege of nurturing the future.”
A voice from yesteryear, Pastor T. DeWitt Talmage (1832-1902), warned against starting too late: “The reason we don’t reclaim our children from worldliness is because we start too late. Parents wait until their children lie before they teach them the value of truth…You put all care upon your children between the ages of 12 and 18. Why do you not put the chief care between four and nine? It is too late to repair a vessel when it has got out of dry dock!” (Deut. 11:1-21)
Pastor and author David Roper, writing in Our Daily Bread, queries: “Why do we sometimes exhaust ourselves rising up early and going late to rest, ‘eating the bread of anxious toil’ (Ps. 127:1,2), busying ourselves to make our mark on this world, and overlooking the one investment that matters beyond everything else—our children? We can make time for our children and trust that the Lord will provide for all of our physical needs. Children, whether our own or those we disciple, are our lasting legacy—an investment we’ll never regret.”
Years ago, a dear old man who faithfully attended every service—with his devoted wife—of our church, shared with me this sad saga: “When our daughter was young, she would tug at me and beg me to go to church with her. I never did, always replying that I had too many things to do. Well, my daughter grew up, and in the meantime, I found Christ as my Savior. Now, pastor, I beg our grown daughter to come to church with us, and she always replies, ‘I have too many things to do.’”
As far as I know, my dear friend went to his grave regretting that he had not taken time for his daughter when her heart was tender towards God, His Word, and His church. Parents, think on these sobering words: “Now, it’s too late.”
“For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children: that the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.” (Ps. 78:5-7)