But Jesus called them to Him, saying, "Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."

Luke 18:16, ESV

I find myself focusing on the wrong things sometimes. Take the riots around America over whether or not to allow the people to stay who have come into our country illegally. Or how about the wars that are ongoing in Iran and Ukraine? Then there is the economy, and the fact that our government officials (who always seem to be rich) take more and more of people's money to the point where many can no longer afford decent living standards. On and on the list goes, and each item on that list, though genuinely serious, takes away our focus from that which truly matters.

I was reminded of what truly matters this past week. We had Vacation Bible School in our community, with about fifty kids in attendance each day. They started out by getting picked up on the "Gospel Chariot", a converted cotton wagon with welded on metal benches. The kids would ride through the neighborhoods, laughing and singing, as they picked up the other kids. Then they went inside and became quiet and reverent, as they eagerly listened to the Bible lesson for the day. They learned about how God and Jesus love them, and they in turn learned to love Them even more.

Then, it was outside for a much-needed break from their rigorous 45-minute study, and they refreshed themselves with twenty minutes or so of wild play time fueled by the sugar from cookies and punch. Then, it was back inside for another 45 minutes of Bible time before once again going back to the Gospel Chariot to be whisked back home. 

I've watched this same event for thirty years now, and it never gets old. And though I have seen it over and over, there was something that really struck me this particular year on the final day, for on that day is their short program to show their parents and grandparents just how much they have learned. I have been reflecting on this very sequence of events, and it struck me again just how much I have been focusing on the wrong things of late. It is not the "serious" worldwide events that are most important, nor is it the very real problems that we deal with on a daily basis with our own lives. No, it is something far more important and much more basic.

It is the children that matter!

This is the generation that we can do something about, if we will just wake up long enough to do so. It's not that the wars and the domestic problems and the economy are not important, because they are! However, these things are merely the same kinds of problems that mankind has dealt with since the first man and woman decided to sin and were removed from the shelter and safety of the Paradise that God had created for them. The result of sin is a variety of complicated problems which mankind will always have to deal with, so deal with them we must,

But it is the children that really matter. They are the ones who will inherit this mess that we have made, and it behooves us to help them prepare for this messed up inheritance. They are also the only ones who are absolutely innocent of the responsibility for the problems of this current world. Furthermore, they are the ones who are truly deserving of our efforts to do everything we can to make things better for them. We cannot do so by passing along our petty squabbles, partisan politics and favorite sins. The only solution is the one that we read above: We must bring them to Jesus!

These beautiful little people are dearly loved by God and Christ, and we have a responsibility to let them know that. We have a duty to teach them about the wonderful things God has done for them. We need to teach them about God's standards of right and wrong. We need to pass along God's expectations for these little people, so that when they grow into big people like us that they will do the right things. We have been getting it all wrong, for we think the solutions to the wars and poverty and hatred are found in the secular realm. We think that if we teach kids that the solutions lie in which political party we support or which culture we happen to be a part of, that then the kids will have a better chance.

And while it is true that some politicians seem to be a little less sinful than others, and that certain cultures are a little less messed up than others, these things are not the solution. Jesus is! And the sooner we learn this, the sooner we will stop preventing these children from coming to Jesus, for the sooner that they learn His righteous standards and apply them to their own lives, the sooner they can clean up the mess that we have left behind.

I have become firmly convinced that it is too late for my generation to fix the problems we have. We simply have too much hatred and disdain for those who disagree with us. Even worse than that. we simply have too much hatred and disdain for God and the true solutions that are found in His Word. We have already gone our own way, and the sad fact is that most people will continue down that destructive path. Don't get me wrong: It's not that it is impossible for us to repent and turn back to God and Christ, it's just that we probably won't.

So, it's up to the next generation - it is up to these little children that Jesus Himself commanded us to not impede when they desired to come to Him. It is when I look at these little ones in gatherings such as our recent Vacation Bible School, our local school's excellent Memorial Day programs, or when I'm just watching them play with their reckless abandon and pure hearts, that I begin to see hope for this mean old world. It is our children who are our hope, but only if we can bring them into contact with the one true hope. And that one true hope is Jesus!

Perhaps the only question left is do we think our kids are worth the effort it will take for us to bring them to Jesus? Every single one of us needs to answer that question, and then we need to get to the work of repenting of our own foolish ways and focusing on what is really important. Then maybe we will get our focus right again. Then maybe we will see that it's the kids who matter because in the big scheme of things, it is God and Christ Who matter.