By Alex Florez
As a father of three and as the self-appointed surrogate “uncle” to over four hundred students, I feel great about the challenge posed by today’s theme. “Making room” for children is what I do professionally and as my calling. I should be able to give a master class on this topic.
Right?
Well, the Lord has gently but firmly—like a loving Father—shared the following revelation with me today: I tend to conflate the purpose of my work with the priorities of God’s heart.
Albeit unintentionally, I often operate as if working sixty hours a week as a Bible teacher and worship leader will finally make God proud of me. If I can convince enough kids that Jesus sees them and knows them and loves them, then maybe I can feel like my efforts are valuable in God’s eyes.
In the readings today, the Lord showed me that no matter how relentless my efforts and no matter how winsome my exposition of Scripture, what He really desires is the unfettered, unmitigated, and unadulterated affection from the children I serve. After all, praise from the mouths of children resonates powerfully in the heavens (Psalm 8:2), maybe more so than whatever stodgy sermonizing I may concoct for the classroom. When I operate as if my effort is the magic key that unlocks God’s favor on my life, I am more likely to impede the progress of the little pilgrims I serve. When I make their experience more about me being an adequate servant, I risk sullying their encounter with the Lord.
And if I’m clouding their vision by casting the wrong message, I inch toward some very dangerous waters. Jesus Himself said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these” (Matthew 19:14). When I approach my work as an instrument by which my worthiness will be measured, I’m essentially misrepresenting God’s heart to them, and I might as well go get fitted for a millstone (Matthew 18:6).
The primary concern of Jesus is not my performance in the classroom or even my work behind the scenes at school. Rather, He asks us to “make room for children” so they can saturate His presence with their shouts of praise (Matthew 21:15).
But it doesn’t stop with the citizens we count as children according to age, height, or how much facial hair they can grow. God declares that all who are led by His Spirit are His children and coheirs with Christ by adoption (Romans 8:16–17). We are His children, which means these passages have implications for us.
Therefore, whenever I make room for children to encounter Jesus, I get to witness and facilitate the very thing God would have for me as His child: that I would drop everything to run to my Father and fall freely into His loving arms.
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