A few weeks ago I was having a conversation with Jeremy, my nine year old son, when he told me, "Daddy, I'm nine years old. Next year I will be ten years old, which makes me a mini-teenager, which kind of makes me a mini-adult, which means you have to take me more seriously."
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When he was finished with his surprising rant I couldn't help but laugh and think, "That just happened." But then I thought about what he said and realized that the kid had a point.
I remember when I was nine years old thinking deeply about the reality of heaven, hell, the cross, sin, judgment day and the like. Sure, I watched Scooby Do episodes, threw mud clots and made ramps to jump my bike off of like every other kid in the neighborhood, but the God stuff was always hovering close to my hyperactive little brain.
What was true of me and of Jeremy is probably true of that pre "mini teenager" you know. And we must start taking them seriously while the cement of their thinking is still wet. We must help them understand life in the context of the God of the Bible because once that cement hardens you'll need a jackhammer and wheelbarrow to break up and clean out the bad theology.
Too many times in too many churches kids aren't taken seriously. They are cute distractions that can only absorb the most basic of Bible stories. But, as the father of a nine and five year old I am constantly surprised how much kids think and talk about God, especially if you encourage them to do so.
