Where Are The Children? [Part 2]

A little while ago I talked about "not having" and "having" children.

Often time the "have nots" just can't see what all excitement and fuss is about when it comes to these ill-mannered, dirty faced, snot nosed, hobbit look alikes [minus the hairy hands and feet, and other weird features].

Why? Firstly, for the most part because they really don't "want" children at that time in their lives.

And because they don't have the children...they have never had the joy of watching a human being born into this world, watching them breathe and eat...and even get rid of their previous eatings.

They have never invested their lives into the life of these little ones and therefore can't muster up imaginary feelings of love toward an imaginary baby.

They have never learned what it is like to lower your standard of speech to teach some one else to speak.

They have never learned how to build their time table and schedule around the life of a child so that the child may be nurtured and grow.

They have never had to try to enter into the immature life of a child so as to help that child where he/she is at that particular time in life. Using their mature experiences to help the child get through trials and troubled times...because mom or dad had to get through similar struggles at one point in their life.

And because of all this...they just can't understand hearing parents rant and rave about their wonderful children...because they just seem like so much work.

Changing gears

Have you ever pursued someone...just for the sake of bringing them to love and trust Jesus?

Note--I didn't say..."have you ever shared or witnessed to someone".

I said...have you ever pursued someone...built a friendship with them, loved them in all their sinfulness, listened to them, helped them in their struggles, had them over for dinner, watched a movie with them, etc.

And you did all of this because you loved them and wanted to see them come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

But the Holy Spirit doesn't work like a can of hair spray...a quick little spray and "their saved"...

I believe that people who have never had the incredible experience of being used by God to bring another person to Jesus, and to help raise them in the faith, are much like the singles sitting on the couch listening to parents speak about the joys of children and parenthood...

...they just don't see what all the fuss is about.

This is because they have never seen someone come out of darkness and enter the marvelous light of Christ's kingdom...or in other words...they have never seen a child of God being born...again.

They have never invested their life into a 'newly born' Christian's life, helping them to learn to eat [reading and understanding God's word, learning to eat the Lord's table in faith], how to talk [pray, fellowship, evangelize], how to walk [walk in faith, loving goodness and hating evil], and how to grow and finally reproduce.

So when they hear about evangelism and sharing about Jesus, they just smile [slightly], politely nodding...but inside they really don't know why this person in front of them is so excited.

We need to learn to get excited...it is the purpose and mission of the Church.