Not long ago, I came across an article with a title that caught my attention.
“What these children needed wasn’t an adult who gave them money, but an adult who gave them time.”
The article told the story of a young person who had grown up in an orphanage.
After leaving the orphanage, the young person received financial support to begin an independent life. With money in hand and a place to call home, everything seemed to be off to a promising start.
But a few months later, when someone came to visit, what they found behind the apartment door was heartbreaking.
The moment the door opened, an unbearable stench filled the air.
Unable to bear the loneliness, the young person had adopted a dog. But the apartment floor was now covered in the dog’s waste, leaving hardly any room to walk.
What had happened?
As long as there was money in the bank and a roof overhead, the deeper needs remained hidden.
Everything seemed fine.
But when the financial support ran out, the weight of a life they had never been taught to navigate came crashing down.
The young person had dropped out of college and, struggling to survive, had turned to life on the streets at night.
And perhaps the most heartbreaking part was this:
There had been no adult to teach this young person how to care for a home.
No adult to hold their hand through the loneliness.
No adult to look them in the eyes and say, “There is so much more to life than these streets. You have a future. There are beautiful things in this world worth pursuing.”
Not even one.
We can give children money.
We can provide them with food, shelter, education, and opportunities.
And these things matter.
But what children often need most is something that cannot be deposited into a bank account.
They need the time of an adult who is willing to stay by their side.
Even when our bank accounts are running low, we still have something precious to offer.
Our presence.
Our attention.
Our time.
And perhaps this is something we need to think about more seriously.
What about the children growing up in our own homes?
What about the children growing up in our churches?
As they prepare to face a world filled with uncertainty, temptation, disappointment, and hardship, could it be that what they need most from us is not another lecture, another program, or another piece of advice?
Could it be that what they really need is our time, our love, and our attention?
After all, even the right words can become nothing more than nagging when they are spoken without love and genuine care.
And if we expect our children to grow in faith without investing our time and attention in their lives, we may be making the very same mistake.
Just as money and a room can temporarily hide a child’s deeper needs, church attendance, Bible knowledge, and religious routines can sometimes hide a child’s spiritual loneliness.
From the outside, everything may look fine.
But what happens when life becomes difficult?
What happens when their faith is challenged?
What happens when they begin asking questions that no one has taken the time to hear?
Our children need more than adults who tell them what is right.
They need adults who will walk beside them and show them how to live.
Adults who listen before they lecture.
Adults who love before they correct.
Adults who make time, even when life is busy.
Adults who patiently teach them the wisdom of heaven as they learn to navigate life on earth.
And as Christians, we have the greatest example of what it means to be present.
Jesus didn’t merely send instructions from heaven.
He came down to dwell among us.
He walked with people, listened to their struggles, shared their burdens, and gave them His time.
And even today, He has promised never to abandon His children.
Perhaps being a good adult begins with reflecting the heart of the God who has never stopped watching over us.
As the psalmist reminds us:
“The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (Psalm 121:8).
So once again, let me say this:
What our children need isn’t simply what we can give them.
They need us.
Our love. Our attention. Our presence.
They need the gift of time from adults who are willing to stay.
And may our children, through the way we love and care for them, come to know the God who faithfully watches over them.
Blessings,
Pastor Ben