Sunday Scripture Sharing - Family Devotional #5

You can link to earlier devotionals by clicking #1, #2, #3, or #4. These are meant to be simple and appropriate for parents to do with young children.

Today's Topic is:

The First Shall Be Last

Introduction
Do you like to be first? First in line, first to get a cookie, first to get in the car, first in the race? Can everyone always be first? How do you think your sister would feel if you were always first? Is it good to be first if you won by pushing someone else down or cheating at a game?

Activity
Play some games, either favorite family board games, or simple games like tossing balls in a bucket or racing through a homemade obstacle course. Practice taking turns, winning and losing gracefully.

Scripture

Matthew 19:30, "Many who are first will be last; and the last, first."

Discussion
There was a big college softball tournament with two teams playing, one from Western Oregon and one from Central Washington, who both really wanted to win the important game. With 2 runners on base, a girl from Western Oregon, hit the ball over the fence. It was a home run! Her team would take the lead! Only, as she rounded first base she hurt her knee really badly and fell to the ground. She couldn't walk it hurt so bad! The rules of the game said that her own teammates couldn't help her round the bases, but if she didn't her home run wouldn't count. Then something amazing happened, one of the players from the other team asked the umpire if her team could help the girl round the bases. The umpire said "yes". So 2 girls from Central Washington carried the Western Oregon player and helped her touch each of the bases and the runs counted (against them). Central Washington ended up losing that game, but those girls won in the eyes of God, they did the right thing that day!
Check out this link to the full story about the softball team

Talk with your kids about how it is more important to be a good person than to be first and that in fact sometimes to do what God wants us to, it will mean we will not be first. It makes God happy when we are nice to other people, so do you think it would be nice to sometimes let your friends or brothers & sisters have a turn before you?

Prayer
Dear God, help us to be like you and think of others before ourselves, even letting them be first. Amen