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“Hindering Immanuel’s Nurture Destructs Emmanuel’s Redemption! (H.I.N.D.R.A.N.C.E)”

Publisher
Ramesh C. Reddy

SCRIPTURE:
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, NIV)

OBSERVATIONS:
I asked myself what Jesus’ reaction was towards children.
1. Jesus said to the disciples, “Let little children come to me.”
2. Jesus said to the disciples, “Do not hinder them.”
3. Jesus said to the disciples, “For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

OBSERVATION/INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself why Jesus said, “Do not hinder them.”

The disciples did not want Jesus to be interrupted when he was talking to them about divorce, so they were trying their best not to let the parents or guardians bring the little children to Jesus.

INTERPRETATION:
I asked myself the significance of Jesus saying, ‘Do not hinder them” to the disciples?

What came to my mind is that the disciples, with their actions, even though they wanted to hear from Jesus, were becoming an obstacle to the little children coming to Jesus. In essence, they were becoming a hindrance to the little children.

IMPLICATIONS:
I saw important implications for my own life here. My actions should never hinder little children from coming to Jesus. This means that how I live my life as a believer in Christ can have a ripple effect on the little children around me. Jesus is reminding me that it starts with me at home with my own little children, Esther (12+) and Evangeline (10+), but it goes beyond the home too, wherever children are.

Especially, if they know that I am a follower of Christ but my actions do not reflect how a follower of Christ should behave, it can have damaging effects on little children. Jesus does not want that. I need to remember how I behave with my own children as their daddy will determine how they view God, as their Heavenly Father. A daddy’s life with their child can be projected upon God. If my children have a good relationship with me and see me living out my faith in Jesus, they would want that too, but if my actions do not reflect Christ but more of Satan, I become a hindrance to my own children wanting to follow Christ. I should never put my children in that position. The worst day in a Christian parent’s life who professes to be a Christian is when their child does not want to have anything to do with Jesus because their parent/s are hypocritical. I don’t want that so I need the Lord’s help so my child will never say, “If this is what it means to be a Christian, I don’t want to have any part in that. You say you love Jesus, but I don’t see that love.” What a way to shatter a child’s life by hindering children from coming to Him with our actions. I never want to be that hindrance, and neither should you.

I ask you now, dear friend, how do you H.I.N.D.E.R. children from coming to Jesus?

Dear friend, mainly it is our actions that hinder children from coming to Him. If our children do not see us praying to the Lord, spending time in His Word, and being part of a community of believers, we have already started to hinder them from coming to Jesus.

Not only that, but our actions also play a vital role in our children's desire to learn more about Jesus. If they don’t see us praying, they probably won’t. If they don’t see us reading His Word and spending time with Jesus, they probably won’t. If they don’t see us excited about church and small group community, they probably won’t. Little children are like sponges, observing their parents, sadly, their negative actions more than their positive actions.

As children are growing up, we need to be careful especially when we are in ministry as a pastor, elder, Sunday school teacher, evangelist, missionary, disciplemaker, etc because if children see your time being spent more with others than your own children in ministry, they could start resenting not only you but also Jesus. Subconsciously, they can think that ‘Jesus is taking away my mommy or daddy from me’.

A prayer warrior MeeLi shared a written prayer request from a child of a parent/s in ministry that read, “I wish my parents had more time for me”. It's so sad when children feel their daddy or mommy is giving more time to others than to them.

Sadly, I have read stories where children of pastors, evangelists, etc, fall away because the person is so focused on reaching others for Christ, that they forget their own children.

Ministry starts at home, and I need to be reminded of that, too. Church children, too, want time with their mommy and daddy. When we spend time with our children, we draw them closer to Jesus because they see the Spirit of Christ living in and through us. Jesus wanted children to come to him and never wanted even the disciples to hinder children from coming to Him.

I have been so guilty of that, too. When my youngest brother, Rohit, was in high school and living with me, I didn't give him the time he deserved. Instead, my time was always spent with students at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, ministering to them. It should have started at home with my brother. I should have been a living example of Christ to Him. Sadly, I was not that. As I reflect back, I know he felt neglected by me. That is so sad. I don’t want that for any of you in ministry.

I cannot count how many times my daughters would say in the past, “Daddy is always publishing Pittsburgh Standard and doing ministry in his room. He barely has time for us.”

No child should equate a parent following Jesus with being ignored. That is one way to hinder a child from coming to Jesus, too. Children can become jealous easily. So, I try to get up as early as possible to do ministry while my children are sleeping or when they are busy.

When my precious wife, Chandraleela, would babysit children at home, there were times when our daughters became very upset with her because they felt their mommy should be with them when they came home from school. It was challenging for my wife, and she had to find ways to involve them as well. When my wife would cook meals for Leela4ChristFoods.com, she stopped doing it when our daughters complained that she was always in the kitchen. Now, when she babysits and decides to cook meals for others, she also incorporates the children’s help. The point is that whether it is cooking, babysitting, ministry, or any other activity, children can become jealous if we are not involved in their lives, unless we involve them. It is no different without a relationship with Jesus.

Following Jesus and doing ministry with Jesus and for Jesus is essential, but can never be a hindrance. If the Lord gives us a family, it is His intention that we take care of our family, leading them to Him without being a hindrance. Again, this should not be taken to the extreme where we ignore the Lord Jesus and ministry with the excuse that we are spending time without our children. We need a balance and wisdom from the Lord Jesus.

Above all, our behavior should never deter children from wanting to know Jesus and be known by Him. Yesterday, Elder Phillip shared a slogan we read regarding Jesus: “Know Jesus, Know Peace, No Jesus, No Peace!”

That is so true. By knowing Jesus, we can know peace. But this peace of knowing Jesus can be magnetized where our children are attracted to Jesus when they see our own lives. When we say no to Jesus, there will be no peace. A parent or parents without Christ at the center of the family will become a hindrance to their children coming to Christ. We must do our part and leave the results in the Lord’s hands, remembering that Jesus takes the hindrance of children coming to Him very seriously.

More than anything, our example of living for Christ can have a profoundly positive impact on our children’s lives. Let me share with you real-life examples of that in action.

When I was a little child growing up in India, I saw my mommy get up early in the morning at 4:30 am to spend time with Jesus, reading His Word and praying for almost 5 years. She did that because she wanted to have time with Jesus and also be there for us when we woke up, and my dad woke up. She also did that so she could pump water and have breakfast ready for all of us, whether it was Idlis, Dosas, Upma, Uthapam, etc. She continued to do that even here in the States while we were growing up. My mom never wanted my daughters Esther and Evangeline to have a negative view of Jesus so even when she was reading the Word and they would interrupt her, she would take time to be with them and then make sure to spend time with the Lord even when I was upset that they were disturbing my mom. Chandra and I try to model reading the Word and praying so our children can follow suit.

Every morning, when I used to take Esther to school, I would share Bible verses from A to Z with her and help her memorize them, from kindergarten to 2nd grade. Even now, she remembers those Bible verses and was recently baptized by Pastor Jesse and Pastor Terence at our church, where she shared with me what the Gospel means.

There have been many times I have been a hindrance to my daughters, and it is the Lord’s grace that they have not fallen or rebelled against the Lord. Thank you, Jesus! Use your time with the Lord to make a difference in your children’s lives. If we don’t, we hinder them from coming to Christ.

May you live your life in such a way for Christ that you do not hinder your children from coming to Christ.

In conclusion, I want to leave you with this biblical warning from Jesus: “But if any of you causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose his faith, it would be better for you to have a rock tied to your neck and be thrown into the sea.” (Matthew 18:6, TLB)

“Hindering Immanuel’s Nurture Destructs Emmanuel’s Redemption!”/I ask you now, dear friend, how do you H.I.N.D.E.R children from coming to Jesus?”

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for placing children in our lives, whether it be at home, school, or church. Let us live our lives in such a way that our children want to know more about you and come to you themselves. Let us never be a hindrance to our children, Oh Lord. Lord Jesus, give us wisdom in our ministry and in our lives following you, so that we may not give you second place. At the same time, help us to involve our children in ministry so they don’t feel left out. Please help us to serve you as a family, and never ignore the children. Let our children never feel out. Thank you, Jesus, for speaking to me from your Word. In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

 If you would like to invite Jesus Christ into your heart and make Him a daily part of your life, you can this very moment. You will never be alone. You can claim God's promises for you in the Bible and see them come true, before your eyes, in His wonderful timing. You don't have to wait for a special time to come to the Lord. You can come right now as you pray the prayer below, meaning it in your heart.

Prayer:
God I am a sinner. I am invaded by this deadliest virus. Many times I feel so guilty and yucky inside. I need forgiveness. I am so sorry for my sins. I have not obeyed you with my whole heart! I have gone my own way and done my own things. I  struggle with sin. I need you Jesus in my life so I can receive forgiveness and a new beginning. In the process, I can forgive others as you help me too. Thank you so much Jesus. I accept the antidote you have sent me. I believe Jesus you died for me and your cleansing blood will cleanse me from all my sins. You came back to life to save me. Thank you God I am set free, free from the bondage of sin. Hear my cry Oh Lord. I accept you Jesus into my heart. I make you my Lord and Personal Savior of my life. Thank you Father God for giving me Salvation. Thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and personal Savior! I can live a life of peace with you on my side. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me! In your Name I Pray Jesus! AMEN!

No matter what you feel in your heart, know that Jesus has come in and resides with you! You are not alone! To make your walk strong with the Lord, spend time in prayer talking to Him as you would to a friend. You don’t need special words to talk to the Lord. Spend time in His Word reading Psalms and turning them into prayer. Next allow God to heal you and speak to you through the Gospel of John or Gospel of Mark before moving on to other Books of the Bible! Slowly, let the Lord show you to which Scriptures He wants you to go to next. It is also important to be part of a body of believers to help you grow in the faith. Find a Bible believing church that preaches the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation proclaiming Jesus Christ our crucified and risen Lord who brings us hope, healing, and help!

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