Lessons from a 5 Year Old

I'm always learning something from my kids.  Sometimes it's because they're just not afraid to say things as they see them.  Sometimes it's because they see the world from a different perspective than adults who like to over-complicate things.

I think I may have to start a regular series on things I've learned from my kids.

Today my little boy said, “Mom, if people are poor and need clothes and food, and we don't help them, we're disobeying God, aren't we?”

I had to agree that he was right and then quoted James 4:17 to him: “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

The Bible is clear that not doing right things is just as much sin as doing wrong things.

But, maybe we feel that we're excluded because we don't personally know anyone that needs clothes or food.

In our minds, ignorance is bliss.

But ignorance is actually sin.

If you truly wanted to find someone to help, you wouldn't have to look very far.  They're living in your community. They're homeless, living their life in a vicious cycle of hopelessness.  They're your co-workers, experiencing marital problems.  They're your neighbors, depressed and feeling like life is pointless.  They're the children playing in your neighborhood, with parents too busy to care about their physical or emotional needs.  They're the unwed pregnant mothers, faced with difficult decisions.  They're cashiers at the grocery store, addicted to drugs, and finding their life spiraling out of control.  They're members of your very own church, struggling with financial stress, but you haven't cared enough about them to get to know them and their needs.

God forgive us.