How Jesus formed Overcomers

overcomer kidForming a generation of overcomers implies forming an overcoming mentality. We must teach the children to think as God thinks. We must understand that we as God’s people have the responsibility to form a generation of overcomers and learn to see children as potential leaders.

How Christ saw children

The natural mind is a mistaken mind. The church must function with a spiritual mind with respect to all things as well as with the leadership development of children. Consider Jesus as an example. He was a very important person and although in his day, society considered children insignificant and unimportant, he valued them and drew near them. Even some religious leaders today have this erroneous mentality. Through their attitudes and sometimes even through their words, they affirm that children disrupt church services and therefore they should be removed from the building. Unfortunately, others leaders in the church believe that it is unnecessary for children to have an encounter with Jesus.

However, those who have the mind of Christ have a different attitude towards children. In Matthew 18 Jesus taught the proper attitudes that we should have toward children.

We must receive them!

Whoever receives one little child like this in my name receives Me. (Matthew 18:5)

We should receive children just as we receive the Lord. Therefore whatever we do with the children we should do with excellence. We do not merely entertain children; we seek to form a mentality in them, teaching them to think as God thinks.

We must not make them stumble!

Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)

Our responsibility is to form a generation of overcomers and not to prevent this generation from knowing Christ.

We must not despise them

Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10)

We should not despise those who the Lord considers important. Children are a part of his body and as such, they should receive the proper attention that the Lord gave by his example.

We must not let them perish

Even so, it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. (Matthew 18:14)

If our desire is really to fulfil the will of God in our lives, then we cannot permit our children, our little ones to perish for lack of care and passion. Our passion is to edify a church of overcomers and this includes the children.