stumbling block

So here’s a hint: if you ever find yourself thinking, “Did Jesus really mean that?” then you’ve stumbled on an area of your life that needs more thought. I had that this morning, reading a very familiar verse, Mark 9:42: 

“‘If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.’”

In case you didn’t know, that’s Jesus talking. I have to admit, in the past when I’ve read this I’ve thought about things like neglect and abuse. I thought this verse applied to all the ways we either overtly sin against kids, or tempt them into sin.

This morning, though, I thought, “Did Jesus really mean that?” It seemed to me there are a lot of ways we can make children stumble. We can make them question their self-worth. We can visibly compromise our own witness toward God. We can model a life where devotions and prayer are completely absent. 

If I badmouth a person I’m mad at, maybe our pastor or elders, in a way that makes my grandkids think badly of them, do I cause my grandkids to stumble? What if I use words I shouldn’t, or lose my temper? What if I play a bloody video game while they watch? What if I demean my wife with short-tempered outbursts while they look on?

Children want to be like us, and they watch us closely and imitate what we do. They soak our behavior up like a sponge. All of a sudden, it seems like there are hundreds of ways I may have put stumbling blocks in the way of children. In fact, I’ve said many times that the only reason my kids turned out OK is Dawn’s sheer goodness as a mom outweighed what a bad dad I was.

This is definitely a thing to think about. If I don’t think kids should do it, I shouldn’t do it. That means if they shouldn’t think it, I shouldn’t think it either. 

Did Jesus really mean that if I cause a child to stumble it would be better for me to be drowned? I’m afraid he did. And that means I have to do better.