Scripture: Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NASB)
Observation: willing—The Greek is stronger, “we were well content”; “we would gladly have imparted,” “even our own lives” (so the Greek for “souls” ought to be translated); as we showed in the sufferings we endured in giving you the Gospel (Ac 17:1–34). As a nursing mother is ready to impart not only her milk to them, but her life for them, so we not only imparted gladly the spiritual milk of the word to you, but risked our own lives for your spiritual nourishment, imitating Him who laid down His life for His friends, the greatest proof of love (Jn 15:13). [Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.]
Application: The apostle Paul developed such a close, loving relationship with the people he brought to the knowledge of Jesus Christ that he considered them more like his children than his pupils. His affection for them, he writes, is comparable to the love that a mother has for his children. Mothers reading his words immediately identify with those feelings toward their own children, something fathers can’t ever experience.
About 35 years ago social scientists began to teach about the importance of early bonding with babies. Experiments with animals showed that bonding is essential for a baby. Studies of newborn monkeys who were given mannequin mothers at birth showed that, even when the mannequins were made of soft material and provided formula to the baby monkeys, the babies were better socialized when they had live mothers with whom they could interact. The baby monkeys with mannequin mothers also were more likely to suffer from despair. Scientists suspect that lack of bonding in human babies can cause similar problems.
Most babies are ready to bond immediately upon their birth. Parents, on the other hand, may have mixed feelings about it. Some parents feel an intense attachment within the first few minutes or days after their baby's birth, while for others, especially if the baby is adopted or has been placed in intensive care, it may take a longer.
At any rate, bonding is a process, not something that takes place within minutes and not something that has to be limited to happening within a certain time period after birth. For many parents, bonding is a byproduct of caring for their baby on a daily basis. You may not even know it's taking place, but then you see your baby’s first smile and suddenly you realize that you're filled with love and joy for that little child of yours.
This is not a skill you learn, it is a natural feeling that God places inside your heart automatically, for most people. Those of us who are parents love that feeling and flourish in the glow of our bond with our children. Enjoy every minute of the experience and as your children grow into youth and adulthood.
A Prayer You May Say: Father God, thank you for letting Your love shine through our hearts to our children. Help us to enjoy that experience as long as possible so that they too may experience Your love through us.
Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.