When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. — Mark 10:14
Behavior is a barometer. Transformation is the thermostat.
By this I mean that our behavior reveals what is in our hearts. Transformation changes what is in our hearts.
For me, one of the things that grieves me most is the mistreatment of children. I have mourned my own mistakes and failings with my own children; many times I have cried out to God over this. While I was in Mississippi helping with Hurricane Katrina relief, the thing that grieved me the most was the times I was in homes in which parents were unkind to their own children. Homes can be rebuilt. Possessions can be restored. Even mourning for lost loved ones runs its course. But the mistreatment of a child can hurt for a lifetime and replicate itself into future generations.
One of the things I love about Jesus is this: He welcomes, loves and defends those who have no power or status in this world. Jesus has always been the Champion of little people, the powerless and the invisible.
Do you want to measure God’s work in your life? Here’s one way you can do it — look for the love and care He has placed in you for little ones who have no strength of their own.
Be encouraged!
Dwight