Don’t Stumble – Matthew 18:6

Wake Up Call

Raising a child is such an awesome responsibility. Without the grace of God I think it would be a pretty scary proposition considering these words of Jesus: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)

Seems severe doesn’t it? Yet it gives an indication of how vulnerable children are and how strongly God feels about protecting and nurturing them. How can we cause a child to stumble? We can treat them in a way that hinders a healthy and true view of a loving Heavenly Father.

How many grow up with the idea that God is mean, angry, always out to get them or pull the rug out from under their every dream? Where do they get that idea? Usually from a parent who modeled life that way when they were young. When we treat children with harshness they have no capacity to see Father God in any other light.

Armed with false assumptions about who God really is, they stumble onto wrong paths of rebellion and sin. Horribly, they usually end up passing their warped view onto their own children and the cycle of separation from their only true hope continues.

I guess, thinking of it that way, we can understand why God says all that about the heavy millstone and drowning in the sea. Take it very seriously if you have influence over a child right now. You don’t want to stumble into making one of his little ones stumble.

 

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