Our Realm of Influence

      By Dorothy Horst

"And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone wre hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea." (Mark 9:42)

Children are so trusting. They are apt to take what an adult says at face value, and approve what an adult does, especially if it is something that the child likes. The child may not be mature enough to make a right judgment about the rightness or wrongness of that action. But just because an adult is doing or saying it, the child tends to think it is right.

Many children grow up thinking it is all right to cheat, drink, use drugs, look at porn, use foul language, or be disrespectful of authority, if that is what they see an adult doing. Adults are the standard for children, unless they receive teaching from another source which illustrates right living.

Singles may think they are not an influence on children if they have no children of their own. But to the contrary, children often bond to a single person because he/she is not focusing on a child of their own. Singles have the capacity and opportunity to make children feel very special. These may be nieces and nephews, children at church, children of friends, or your students in school or Sunday School.

One single takes her nieces and nephews to lunch for their birthdays, and then to Wal-Mart to spend a specific amount of money. It may be a modest amount, but the important thing is that they are able to lovingly interact while someone they look up to, while choosing something for themselves or to share with others. They learn about the value of money and how to make careful choices, as well as how to live with the choices they make and that decisions have consequences.

Bless a child with your love and attention and you will be an influence for God in the life of that child into adulthood, and even into eternity!

Dear Father in heaven, I want to be an example to children and new-born Christians of your standard of right living so that none will be offended and be led into the broad way. Amen.

© 2002 Dorothy Horst

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