Acts 23

But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?” He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. Don’t give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.” The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭23‬:‭16‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Every person has worth and a potential role to play in furthering God’s Kingdom, regardless of age.  In this story, God used Paul’s nephew to help save Paul’s life.  We can use this story as a reminder to ourselves and for our children, that God can use anyone, at any time, and at any age.  Jesus taught us that there is an unexpected way that children can be a blessing to adults: Children can be great teachers for us!  Jesus said “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4).  So although we, as adults, are used to being the ones teaching the children, let’s take a look at what can be learned from them: 

1. Don’t be afraid to follow your hopes and dreams.  Children tend to believe that anything is possible.  As we get older, however, doubts and fears creep in and steal the power that hope can bring.  In addition, many of us get weighed down by the responsibilities of life and slowly lose sight of our dreams. For those few people who hold onto their dreams and continue to look to God for guidance, there are incomparable blessings in store for them!  Here’s an example:  A friend of ours had always dreamed of helping people in Africa.  Her life continued as she journeyed through nursing school, starting her career, getting married and having three children.  Through it all, she continued to have faith in the calling that God gave her as a little girl.  She has now been presented with an opportunity to use her nursing experience to help primitive people in Papua New Guinea.  Her entire family is in the process of making final preparations to leave on a 2-3 year missionary journey, which is a fulfillment of her lifetime dream!  “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).  So dream big!

2. Don’t worry about what other people think of you.  Young children are not afraid to be who they are.  They rarely use false pretenses to make themselves look better in front of others.  They make friends easily and do not spend time and energy worrying about what others think.  We should all approach life with the same confidence and embrace the way that God made each of us, flaws and all!  God made us to be unique, and He sees every one of us as His masterpiece.  “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession” (Deuteronomy 7:6).  Ask Him to reveal to you ways in which you can capitalize on your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses.  When you start to fall into the trap of worrying about what others think of you, remember that God sees you as perfect and blameless now that your life is joined with Jesus. 

3. Take time to laugh and play.  Children are carefree, they play hard, and live life with few or no regrets.  Although adults do not have the time and opportunity to be as carefree as children, we can purposefully set time aside to enjoy life in the season we are in.  According to the Bible, having fun is just as important as working: “So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15).  Do the things that you need to get done, and then take time to enjoy your life!  Live a little, lighten up, and laugh a lot: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

4. Enjoy where you are at in life.  As opposed to adults, children are much better at focusing on the present moment.  As we get older and have added responsibilities, we tend to lose sight of this simple, yet powerful concept.  Two of the biggest joy-killers in our lives are worry about the future and regrets about the past.  Neither one of these is helpful or uplifting, which is why we are commanded by God not to do either one!  “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” (Matthew 6:27).  Enjoy and appreciate what you are experiencing right now so that you don’t miss it.  “This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24, NLT).

Make sure to give the children in your life the credit and worth they deserve, by seeing them through God’s eyes.  Be thankful that He gave us these little people in our lives to remind us of some of the most important things that we tend to forget.