Stop playing! Or.... continue?

Having fun at 2008 Dnow.

Last night, I heard some noise in another room next to my office. I walked down the hall into the room that we use for our Middle School small groups. Inside the room, there were about 10 middle school students playing "hide and go seek." It was about 6:00pm, 30 minutes before our middle school program began. My first thought was to yell at them and tell them to stop playing in that room. However, something stopped me. I looked inside the room and saw students playing with each other an innocent game. They were in one room, next to my office. They were having fun. They were playing inside a church building. Is that wrong? I'm told that is irreverant. I'm told that we are to stop all their playing and maintain discipline at all times. I'm told that playing is not acceptable in the Lord's house... why? The same room they were playing in would host them an hour later for "serious Bible study." Why just use it for that?

This morning, I read this passage in my quiet time. "And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, "Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all. And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them" (Mark 10:13-16).

Do you wonder if those children acted like children today? Could there have been middle school aged students in that group? Could they have been running around and playing with each other? Could the disciples' response to them parallel with the response some of us adults would have today?

Look at the response of Jesus. The bible states, "He was indignant." This word, aganakteo (ag-an-ak-teh'-o: to be greatly afflicted, i.e. (figuratively) indignant -- be much (sore) displeased, have (be moved with, with) indignation) translates well in our modern day. I was upset with myself for the temptation to yell at them. What were they doing wrong at that moment?

I know you may be thinking... "Dave is just a youth minister and all he does is play." Well, I agree with you for most of that assumption. I do love to play. However, there is a time and place in which it isn't bad. If I walked into the room and they were drawing on the walls, throwing things out the window, breaking things on the tables, making out (I hope not), or other things,.. then yes, I would've yelled at them! They were dishonoring the church by that. However, playing a game of hide and go seek reminded me last night of the child like joy I can have in Christ. Do I come to church and have the same joy and fun that these students had? Can my walk with Christ be labeled as one with child like faith? Do we as adults forget that walking with Christ doesn't mean 24 hours of sorrow...but a life lived victorious in Christ! I love what Romans 6:4 teaches, "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life." Do we walk in "newness of life."? Do we walk as if Christ truly is out treasure, as Paul writes about in most of Philippians?

I believe this passage teaches us to walk and live as if we truly ARE children of God. We are adopted into His kingdom (see 1 John), and because of that...we are His children! I encourage you today to put aside all of the adult stresses, worries, concerns, etc. Walk today as if you are a child of the King. Have fun. Play a game. Run in the rain. Eat after dinner. Stay up late with your kids. Enjoy this day. Give Praise to the King of Kings... who blesses the children.