Last night we had the Awana awards ceremony for our children at Shiloh. I sit back and I look and I watch. I see the kids and I see the dedicated workers and I am overwhelmed with the wave of privilege that washes over me as I thank God that He has planted me and my family among these people that I love and respect so much.
I see in the eyes of the children pure joy (even through the fear in the eyes of some as they stand up in front of so many grown-up eyes) to be up on the stage sharing with the congregation the things they have learned about their God. I see in the eyes of the leaders absolute love and beaming pride as they share about the kids they have been allowed by God to make an eternal investment in.
I look at the leaders and I know that each one that stands there, stands there because they know they are on a mission from Christ Himself. The One who is King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who holds all dominion, power, and authority in His hand, this One, the very Son of the Creator God… has chosen to trust these little hearts to them. These that I looked at, as I stood among them, know this is Kingdom business and it is serious business.
I stand, trying to hold back tears, as I wonder if they realize what an honor it is to me to be able to stand among them. To know that I can wholeheartedly trust my children to them… there are very few that I allow that freedom over my girls… to just hand them over… and say “here you go, fill there heart, mind, and soul with whatever you got.”
My husband and I allow very few that freedom. We guard their hearts, mind, and soul with fierce determination that nothing will get by us on our watch. We stand with our swords raised and eyes always scanning the crowd for deception and trickery. We keep our senses alert and searching for that sneaky serpent, that prowling lion from hell, that one that wants to destroy our children and the future and hope that is promised them from God.
Yet here I stand, and I see men and women of God who stand guard with me, watching over my girls, and all these other children under their care. They stand with their own swords raised, ready to fight the evil one to the death if he dare attempt to steal even one of them away from their Good Shepherd.
These children stand up on stage and they sing their songs and they sign them as they sing. They stand and they quote and read Scripture, the very words of eternal life (John 6:68). They stand and they share the Biblical truths that resonated in their hearts and minds as they studied and listened to the Word of God taught them by these leaders, by these that they know love them… because they have been faithful and consistent to invest their own lives and time into them.
These children stand up on the stage and they are not just “oh, look they are so cute!”, they are warriors learning to use their weapon of the Word. They are soldiers learning to walk to the sound of the voice of their Commander. They are knights in training, learning to live a life of honor, able to recognize the lie from the truth, and learning how to respond to life with integrity and character.
May they not forsake what they have learned. May they continue to sharpen their swords and increase their own understanding. May they continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of God… and may those who have taught them thus far never grow weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9)… knowing that in due time they will see their Christ reap a mighty harvest.
I love the body of Christ. I love the place where God has planted me. I love those who serve with me. As fellow believers and servants of the Most High God we may have to get past a personality, past a method, past a difference of opinion, but that’s what Christ has called us to do (2 Corinthians 5:16). We are to look past the flesh and look to the intentions of the heart. If the heart is right, then the grace of God is more than sufficient to get past any fleshly conflicts.
I love those who have chosen to get down in the trenches with me. I love them with a godly, agape love, with the love of family. I love those that I have had the opportunity to invest my life into their life… no matter how far away they go… I am always with them and they are always with me. They will come to my mind and I will pray for them, and the same Spirit of God that is in me is in them and in this we are forever united. I do believe that this is what Christ meant when He prayed…
Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
For their sakes I sanctify Myself,
that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
I do not ask on behalf of these alone,
but for those also who believe in Me through their word;
that they may be one, even as You, Father are in Me and I in You,
that they may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
The glory which You have given Me I have given to them,
that they may be one, just as We are One; I in them and You in Me,
that they may be perfected in unity,
so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them,
even as You have loved Me.
John 17:17-23
For the sake of these little ones I sanctify myself. I myself study the Word of God, the Word of Truth, to sanctify myself, to show myself approved. I do this for their sake… that they also might be sanctified, set apart, for the glory of God and that they might know that God loves them. As I love them through His love and give my life for them, the way Christ gave His life for me, these little hearts know that John 3:16 is not just a catch phrase. It’s not just a label under a football players eyes. It’s not just a sign held up at the goal post. It’s Life. It’s Truth.
God sent His Only Begotten Son to die for them that they might have eternal life… eternal life that begins the moment that they believe. Never ever doubt the power of your service to Him and His gospel. Never let the eyes play tricks on you and convince you that it is in vain. Run the race. Finish well. Leave a legacy of faith in your wake.