The Greatest of These

The Greatest of These – Teaching Our Children to Love by Derri Smith There are so many possible achievements and honors in life. If your child could have only one, what would it be? The Pulitzer Prize? A national sports championship? A doctoral degree? An ambassadorship? An Oscar? Our 17-year-old recently filled my heart with more joy than if she had won all these honors. How? While serving one week at a Mexican orphanage, she spread the sweet aroma of the love of Christ through her actions, words, and attitudes. The world may not offer awards for such things, but they are clearly top priorities in the Kingdom of God. When I Corinthians lists things of eternal value, the greatest of these is love. When a lawyer asks Jesus to list top priorities, He tells him, and us, to love God and love our neighbor; these sum up the law and the prophets. It was not that my daughter went to an orphanage that thrilled me so. It was the way God’s love flowed unrestrained through her while she was there that warms my heart. The foundation for love comes from knowing that we are not just random products of evolution; that each person is created by God and of inestimable value. The heart change from selfishness to love is empowered only by the Holy Spirit. Rather than delving into these core issues, however, the purpose of this article is to look at some everyday, practical ways to develop unselfish, loving habits and to free God to pour His love through our children. ...