Several years ago, I had the privilege of going to Mexico City to witness a powerful children’s ministry. During the trip, I saw this ministry reach out to the children who literally lived at the city dump. It was heart wrenching to witness the children rummaging through the garbage trying to find food to eat and items that could be sold for money doing whatever they could to just survive.
In John 14:18, Jesus addresses future “survivalists”. Before His departure to heaven, He promises His followers that He would not leave them comfortless. The word “comfortless” in the Greek is the word “orphanos” from which we get our word “orphans”. In other words, Jesus is telling His followers that we wouldn’t have to be survivalists, pilfering and doing whatever is needed to fend for ourselves to just exist.
Sadly, many children’s ministry workers are treating their ministries as though they are orphans. They enter into their classes after a prayerless week having finagled every crafty strategy necessary to make what is printed in a book come alive. Just as an orphan would utilize every ploy to make it one more day, many children’s ministry workers are teaching by hook or crook to get through one more teaching session.
Come on, we aren’t orphans. We don’t have to be survivalists. Let’s call upon the One who has been assigned to work alongside us to prepare us for the ministry before we arrive at the church, teach alongside us as enter into the class, and do what only He can do to seal the deal as the message is delivered and then walked out in the children’s lives.
This Comforter, aka the Parakletos, aka the One who has been called to walk alongside, aka the Holy Spirit, is waiting for our call for deployment. Let’s allow Him to fulfill His assignment as He works side-by-side with us. Then and only then will we see Joel’s prophecy fulfilled in this generation!
