Current research in the field of child development posits that the most important foundational thing a baby learns is trust. Can they trust their caregivers to be nurturing and to respond to their needs? Can they trust older siblings? Trust is the basis of every relationship that will follow in their entire lives.
Trust is also the building block for faith and for the development of a relationship with God. When Jesus told us to call God “Our Father” He was hoping we had ideal fathers and we could use that relationship as an avenue to love His Father. So often we are not ideal parents and we sometimes betray our children’s trust unknowingly making it more difficult for our children to grow up trusting God.
Therefore Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of the more important texts in Scripture. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
One of my greatest blessings was to never doubt my human father’s love. Therefore, it was easy for me to go to the cradle roll division at church and accept that my heavenly Father also cared for me the very same way. The greatest form of evangelism is always keeping your word when you make a promise to your children. If you promise to read three stories if Michael or Alicia goes to bed right away, be ever so faithful to read those three stories without skipping pages so you can hurry and go watch TV. Being faithful to one’s children is completing the great Gospel Commission found at the close of Matthew.
Spring Of Life