Written by Bethany Ogle, Leaders in Training (LIT) Volunteer
Faith. It's a simple thing. But it is also a complex, difficult thing. Jesus tells us to have faith like a child, and here I am again, learning from the children of LIT. This year we have been studying the armor of God. We have spent time going through the armor piece by piece - learning about the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, and now, the shield of faith.
The shield was the Roman soldier's first line of defense against the enemy. We began discussing the "fiery arrows" of Satan and what these look like in our life. I gave a few examples, and the kids added more - fear, worry, guilt, pride, doubt, lying, and wanting to do what isn't right. I was especially struck by how many of them said they identified with being worried about something in their life. As someone who works with kids on a daily basis, I have seen how so many are troubled by anxiety, the leading mental health issue among young people in the U.S. today. But thanks be to God, we don't have to face those fears and temptations alone! All we need is to pick up the shield of faith. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:6). I asked the kids to think of some promises that God has given us that we can bring to mind when the enemy is firing his "arrows" at us. They came up with an amazing list:
God is always by my side
God is protecting me
God will fight for me
God loves me
God will care for me
God wants the best for me
God can help me
The kids, of course, had a fantastic time in a rousing game of dodging the "arrows" with the "shield" we had made. My prayer is that in the midst of the fun they will remember these promises when the time comes for them to take up their own shield of faith. I know that they have challenged me to come back to the simple faith and trust we can have in God in the midst of all our trials- big or small.
CURRENT NEEDS:
Interested in joining in on the fun? Mission Adelante's Leaders In Training (LIT) program needs volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please visit their website at www.missionadelante.org/kids.
