Showing God's Love

"Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

(Matthew 25:40)

February is the month for Valentine's Day! Children excitedly choose Valentine's Day cards for their classmates and other special people. They look forward to receiving cards and candy from their family and friends. School classes often hold parties. It is a fun-filled time.

Valentine's Day offers a great opportunity to focus on the love of God. In particular, we can show our love for God as we express our love for our family and friends. Encourage your children to adopt a group of people who may be forgotten on Valentine's Day. Your children can make cards, bake cookies, prepare bags of candy, or accomplish some other project for the group.

To find a potential group, contact a local nursing home, a children's home, a ministry that serves meals to homebound persons, a community-based organization, or even your own church. Encourage the children to express in their cards that they will be praying for the recipients and that God loves them.

This project will be fun for the children and will help them learn what it means to reach out to "one of the least of these."

Questions for Discussion

• What are the needs of your selected group? How can you best pray for them?
• What does Jesus mean by the phrase "the least of these"? How is ministry to the "least of these" really serving Jesus Christ?
• Are there times in most people's lives when they could be considered among "the least of these"?
• What are some future projects that the children could complete for this group?

Janet Zimmerman is an ordained United Methodist deacon, who serves as Christian Education Director at Church of the Lakes in Canton, Ohio.

Posted in 2004.