Loving God, Loving Your Baby

When I see a baby laugh, I think of pure joy. We’re drawn to babies laughing, which is evident in the proliferation of baby clips on youtube and America’s Funniest Home Videos. For a super fun pick-me-up, check out triplets laughing on youtube.

There is so much that is innocent, precious, sweet, and a true picture of who our amazing creator God made us to be that can be seen in the joy of a child. As pure and precious as babies are, they need to know their Heavenly Father, and we begin sharing God’s love with them, long before they’re walking and talking. When we talk about sharing Jesus with our children, we usually think of school-aged children, but building faith into their lives begins long before that.

We’re clearly told “God is love...” If God is love, then infants will connect the love they experience from us with Him. So... how you hold your baby, the tone of voice you use when you talk to your child, the songs you sing, and how often you tell your baby that Jesus loves him is even now planting the seeds of love and truth in his heart and life.

A baby’s first impressions of Jesus is up to you. Your hugs, smiles, laughter, and a loving tone of voice are God’s love directly to her. As your child grows, and learns more about God, he will be more open to trusting Him and to loving others. Your child begins her spiritual journey long before she starts walking.

“Jesus loves me this, I know...” can be the song your child hears you sing, as you stroll him, lay her down for a nap, travel in the car, and as you go throughout your day together. It can be the tenor of your lives.

As for me, when I see parents showing love to a child through their words and their deeds, I think of a God who loves me, His child, and I’m grateful for the reminder. And, at the same time, I’m grateful for loving parents who are living their faith and making a difference for all of us.

- Belinda Lund Bjarki, Trinity's Children's Ministry Director