What children need most

> WHAT CHILDREN NEED MOST written Oct.15 08
>
> What do children need most? How do we as parents, significant adults and teachers give them what they need? When we are in Biblical ministry we don't do the work alone, God desires us to allow Him to minister through us. God calls us to remember that we will only be able to fulfill those things that really matter as we spend time with Him, John 15:5.
> What children need most is what we all need most... God's love. We can extend God's love and compassion to children by accepting those who are sick, hurting, hungry and yes even naughty.
> How can we express compassion to children? We can pray for them and with them. We can earnestly take their needs to our heavenly Father. We can provide compassion through a loving touch, a pat on the head, a rub on the back, a hug, a cuddle. We can do so by refraining from loosing our temper, yelling, using words that curse and do not bless. Jesus prayed for and physically touched those who others deemed unimportant.
> Spending time with children an important way we show them God's love. We can spend time eating, playing, reading a book, or just walking with them. What we do is less important than the fact that we are actually just being with them. Make time to be with them as you are able.
> Paul says God's love is patient. When we show patience to children our actions and speech honor them with a special gift from God. This is true of all the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Love them all the same; the compliant, the whiner, the crier, the challenged, the disobedient, the fearful, the shy, the beautiful. Ask God how you can be His loving hands extending a fruit of righteousness to that specific child. When we invite God to work through us He enables us to accomplish these things