4 Reasons Even the Most Rambunctious Children Belong in Church
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When I was a young mom, bringing my family to church was far from picture-perfect. It was usually just me with my preschooler and my toddler, one clinging desperately to my side and aching to be held, the other screaming their head off just for the pure joy of the sound.
Sometimes it’s really easy to skip church. There — I said it. And it’s true. We’re so busy, we’re exhausted, and we’re burning the proverbial candle at both ends. Having young kids at home can be another excuse to just take the easy path and stay home. But attending church as a family helps keep the whole team pointed in the same direction: towards God. As kids get older, there are often children’s or young adult ministries they can get involved with, and for the parents, there might be Bible studies, prayer groups, and volunteer opportunities. Bringing your kids to church makes it all the more likely that you as a family will become an active participant in the community of believers all around you.
In the words of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Even for the grumpiest people, it brings a fresh perspective when you have a chance to stand next to a wiggle worm and worship, or see in the pew in front of you somebody’s little hands or ponytail swinging joyfully. It also reminds us of what we’re supposed to do: raise up our young ones in the Lord. The point isn’t a comfortable, silent, pristine worship experience. The point is being together as a family of the Lord in worship, even if that’s messy and sometimes noisy. It’s about all bringing separate, individual ways together as one.
We can learn much from children. As Jesus said in Mark 10:14b-15, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
If you’re a parent and grandparent worried about disturbing the people around you by bringing a potentially noisy child into worship, relax. It’s good for them, it’s good for you, and it’s good for the people around you.
And if you’re someone who gets a slight sense of, shall we say, irritation about kids in worship, just remember Jesus — the very One we worship — hung around with sinners, lepers, and sometimes-rambunctious children. And He commanded us to do the same.
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Photo credit: Unsplash/Ashton Bingham
