When it comes to loving our neighbors, let’s always be sure to include children. Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 18, verses 5 and 6."[A]nyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in me to lose faith or be harmed by sin, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck." [NLT]

Believe me, men in the land feared drowning above pretty much all else. Even experienced fishermen like Peter and Andrew, James and John, were scared to death of drowning, for some reason.

But perhaps Jesus’ warning should also cause us to think of other smaller ways we can cause children to be harmed — by our critical attitudes, hypocrisy, self-centered living — anything that doesn’t reflect Christ-like, child-like kingdom living. I’m not talking about being perfect. Instead, I’m saying that a child’s faith grows, not diminishes, when an adult apologizes to the child for, say, losing his or her temper.

Like Jesus, let’s love children well by showing them the love of God and humility of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is Luis Palau.