Throughout the summer on Wednesday nights we have been considering those in need, thus far the orphans and the widows. We will consider the sick, the bereaved, the prisoners, the homeless, the alien, and others. The response required to each of these is no less the "heart of God." We might debate how to best serve each group and each individual within these groups, but it is demanded by God that we do serve those in these circumstances. Wisdom demands we understand the circumstance we walk into and understand our personal ability and responsibility in each situation, but each case demands we try to leave the person(s) better off than when we found them.
Parents have a great opportunity here. As parents do you insulate your children from the hardness of life, the messy folks, the needs, the difficult matters, or do you exposed them under your guidance and care to interact and understand? Do your kids know any orphans? Do they know a widow (or know that a person they know is a widow)? Do they know someone who is grieving over the loss of a loved one? Do they know a homeless person? Do they know sick people? Do they know aliens (the people kind)? Do they know a prisoner? Do they know poor people? And, have been instructed on how to understand each of these? Do they have a desire in their hearts to serve the unfortunate?
A huge part of a parent's curriculum should be in this area. Do you have a plan to train your children in the area of compassion? What they learn early will be put into practice later. Parents can make it easier for their kids to "die to self" throughout life if they teach them to serve those in need at a young age. Pride, arrogance, self-righteousness, and self-centeredness can be attacked early as we model compassion before our children and as we give them opportunities to serve.
Rod
