I have heard of people saying, "My child is too young to know if he/she wants to ask Jesus to come into his heart." Or they feel their child is too young to fully understand what the child is doing. This disturbs me.
Do we stop our children from playing sports because they are too young to understand fully the rules of the sport? Or do we stop our children from beginning piano lessons because they are too young to know how much practice it is going to take to become great pianist? No we don't!
Generally we get very enthused that the child is showing interest in the sport or activity we enjoy. We encourage them to try the sport. Then why would a parent discourage a child from asking Jesus to come and be Lord over their lives? If a child is old enough to recognize that Jesus loves him and that he wants Jesus to be involved in their life I would encourage you as a parent to do everything within your ability to encourage the child to take that first step by asking Jesus to come into his life.
Do I have any experience is making this statement? I would say, "Yes, I do." I remember as a 4 year old child at a vacation Bible school making the decision that I wanted Jesus to come into my heart. From that moment on it has been the desire of my heart to serve Jesus and to have Him be the Lord and Master of my life.
I am a parent who has raised 3 children who are now adults. Each one of them knows when they asked Jesus to come into their life as a small child. Each of them have been faithfully serving Jesus and allowing Him to direct their lives.
Some people say they can't remember asking Jesus into their heart as a young child even though someone in their family tells them they did and they use this as an excuse to hinder their child from making that first step.
A person may not remember when they first picked up a ball but I don't remember that ever being an excuse for not allowing a child to pick up a ball when they see the ball and desire to pick it up. Do you?
I remember being told that communist knew that if they could get a child and train them in the first 5 years of their life they would have that child the rest of their life. God's word tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22:6 How is it that Christians sometimes do not understand this very principle. The communist didn't come up with the idea. It is God's Word telling us to train our children up in the things of Him. If we do we can be assured they will not depart from the training they have received from God.
If a child is old enough and he is asking questions and wanting Jesus to come into his life I plead with you do not hinder him. The Bible says it would be better for a millstone to placed around your neck and you to be thrown over into the sea than to offend one of these little ones. (Matthew 18:6) One of the definitions for offend is
to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
By not allowing the child to ask Jesus into his life you are essentially offending the child, causing him to turn away from the one person who will be a friend that will stick closer than a brother throughout his life!
Yesterday I learned of a young boy who came to our church's vacation Bible school a couple of weeks ago. In one of the services he was drawn by the Holy Spirit to ask Jesus into his life. He recognized LOVE and wanted the God who is Love to be in his life. Thankfully no one stopped him and said you are too young to make this decision! This past weekend the child drowned. His parents do not attend church. I pray that they will come to know Jesus and receive His comfort and council rather than blame God. It is the devil who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
If your child is being drawn to Jesus by the Holy Spirit I pray that you will not hinder him from making the most important decision in his life! Understanding will continue to come! I am 48 years old and I am still gaining understanding every day! But that day as a 4 year old was the best day of my life and I made the best decision of my life by asking Jesus to be the Savior of my soul, the Lord and Master of my life. I have not regretted one day having made that decision. You can ask my children, also. They will tell you they do not regret their decision as young children.
