Today’s Thought – September 11

 

Stop Child Abuse!

The baby screamed only louder when the mother jerked it out of its seat in the shopping cart and proceeded to pound on its tiny backside. I noticed marks on the baby’s arms and legs. The baby couldn’t have been a year old. The woman looked straight up into my baleful glare. I shook my head almost imperceptibly.  Me and Jesus have at least one thing in common–neither of us are “comely” and “baleful” does not look good on me. Nervously she plopped the baby back in the cart and shot down the grocery isle as if pursued by rabid dogs.

Spiritual babies often find themselves born into abusive “households.” Ignorant spiritual “parents”, unworthy of the trust given them, have unrealistic expectations, throwing a complicated set of rules and parameters in the baby’s lap and then beating them if they don’t perform up to the unrealistic levels they have set for them. This spiritual baby, the victim of abuse, becomes a tiny bewildered soul who only understands that life is about pain and fear.

Our responsibility to these babies is to

feed them: I Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

and

nurture them: Galatians 6:1 (a) Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;

Stop spiritual child abuse!