Parents have been given a wonderful work to do. The home life, in order to be successful, demands careful study. The home is to be a school, in which children are to be trained for the higher school. The father and mother should make the decision, “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.... I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 1)
The husband and wife must love and respect each other. Thus only can the children be taught to respect their parents. If parents realized how greatly their attitude toward each other influences the conduct of the children, they would offer earnest prayers to God for wisdom to understand and teach the way of the Lord.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 2)
In the home school there is to be no exaction, no commanding. Love is to bear rule. From their babyhood, the children are to be taught to defer to one another, to show unselfishness in the smallest matters. If all were to learn this lesson in childhood, the curse of grasping for the supremacy would not so often be seen in the church.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 3)
Parents as Teachers
By precept and example, parents are to teach their children never to speak falsely. When a falsehood is uttered, the heavenly angels turn away in sorrow, grieved that Christ's heritage should so dishonor him. One falsehood spoken prepares the way for another. The Lord desires all to adhere strictly to the truth, to be straightforward in every transaction. Never tell a lie, because thus you hurt your own soul, and disgrace yourself in your own eyes.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 4)
Parents are the first teachers of their children; and by the lessons that they give, they, as well as their children, are being educated. As parents consecrate themselves, body, soul, and spirit, to the doing of their God-given work, the Lord will teach them precious lessons, giving them wise words to speak, and helping them to show patience and forbearance under provocation.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 5)
Parents, never let your children hear you speak a word of impatience. Give them the help of a Christlike example. Accept the invitation: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” In complying with this invitation, you will find joy in service, and sweetness of disposition will be brought into the life.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 6)
Position of the Mother
The mother is the queen of the home, and the children are her subjects. She is to rule her household wisely, in the dignity of her motherhood. Her influence in the home is to be paramount; her word, law. If she is a Christian, under God's control, she will command the respect of her children.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 7)
From the mother the children are to learn habits of neatness, thoroughness, and despatch. To allow a child to take an hour or two in doing a piece of work that could easily be done in half an hour, is to allow it to form dilatory habits. The mother should show the necessity of order, neatness, and despatch, acting at the same time with such reasonableness that the children will not think her exacting. The habits of industry and thoroughness that she teaches her children will be an untold blessing to them in the larger school of life, upon which they must enter as they grow older.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 8)
Mothers, keep your children occupied. If you fail to do this, Satan will do it for you. Set them some task to do each day. As early in life as possible, children should be trained to share the burdens of the home. Too often the mother's life is almost that of a slave, while her daughters live the life of ladies. In nearly every case, the mother herself is to blame for this condition of things. While the children are still young, the mother should give them some simple task to do, telling them that they are helping her. It will take longer for her to teach them how to do the work than it would for her to do it herself; but let her remember that she is laying in their characters the foundation of helpfulness. Let her remember that the home is a school, in which she is the head teacher. It is her part to teach her children how to perform the duties of the household quickly and skilfully.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 9)
The mother is patiently to guide and direct and teach, helping the children by kind, encouraging words. If she is a learner in the school of Christ, she will be a wise teacher and a safe guide, knowing how to restrain hasty words, and how to show patience and cheerfulness in the face of trial and misfortune.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 10)
A Change Needed
We need homes that are surrounded by a sanctified atmosphere. Unconverted families are Satan's strongest allies. The members of them work counter to God. Some parents are harsh, denunciatory, overbearing, while others are careless and overindulgent, letting their children follow the course of disobedience until they do very wicked things, and are a spectacle of shame to angels and to men. Such parents need to feel the converting power of God. By giving way to anger, and by selfish indifference, they unfit their children for this world and the next. How long will the Lord bear with this kind of work? He calls for a decided change in the home school. Let fathers and mothers repent of their neglect. “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”“The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 11)
It is a fact that the Lord will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into his garner. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord is calling for a people who, in spirit and word and deed, will bear fragrant fruit. He is indignant with those who are greatly dishonoring him; and unless they change, he will punish them for their sins. But if they repent, he will see their helplessness, and will have pity upon them. “The Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone.”
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 12)
I am writing this to the parents among us because I greatly desire them to learn, and to teach to their children, the beautiful lessons that we must learn on earth before we can enter heaven. In everything you do, ask yourselves, “How will this help my children to prepare for the mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for those who love him?” When the work in the home school is done as it should be, families will bring into the church such a noble unselfishness that heavenly angels will love to linger there. The feelings of resentment, so quickly aroused, will be looked upon as grieving the great, self-sacrificing heart of Jesus. Hearts will be refined and purified, made fit for the indwelling of the Lord Jesus.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 13)
Keep Christ before your children by singing songs to his glory, by seeking him in prayer, and by reading from his Word, so that he will seem to them an ever-present Guest. Then they will love him, and will be brought so closely into unison with him that they will breathe out his Spirit. They will feel a new relationship to one another in Christ.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 14)
When parents do faithfully the work resting upon them, a holy influence will be brought into the church; and in the power of God, men and women will go forth into the service to which he calls them, however difficult, dangerous, or trying it may be.
(RH January 12, 1911, Art. A, 15)
A Passion for Souls
The Christian's Greatest Need (First Reading) EGW
Among professing Christians of today there is a fearful lack of the sympathy that should be felt for souls unsaved. Unless our hearts beat in unison with the heart of Christ, how can we understand the sacredness and importance of the work to which we are called by the words, “Watch for ... souls, as they that must give account”? We talk of Christian missions. The sound of our voices is heard; but do we feel Christ's tender heart-longing for souls?
(RH January 12, 1911, 1)
We are on the very verge of the time of trouble, and perplexities that are scarcely dreamed of are before us. A power from beneath is leading men to war against Heaven. Human beings have confederated with satanic agencies to make void the law of God. The inhabitants of the world are fast becoming as the inhabitants of the world in Noah's day, who were swept away by the flood, and as the inhabitants of Sodom, who were consumed by fire from heaven.
(RH January 12, 1911, 2)
The powers of Satan are at work to keep minds diverted from eternal realities. The enemy has arranged matters to suit his own purposes. Worldly business, sports, the fashions of the day,—these things occupy the minds of men and women. Amusements and unprofitable reading spoil the judgment. In the broad road that leads to eternal ruin there walks a long procession. The world, filled with violence, reveling, and drunkenness, is converting the church. The law of God, the divine standard of righteousness, is declared to be of no effect.
(RH January 12, 1911, 3)
A New Life From Above
At this time—a time of overwhelming iniquity—a new life, coming from the Source of all life, is to take possession of those who have the love of God in their hearts, and they are to go forth to proclaim with power the message of a crucified and risen Saviour. They are to put forth earnest, untiring efforts to save souls. Their example is to be such that it will have a telling influence for good on those around them. They are to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus.
(RH January 12, 1911, 4)
Intense Earnestness Needed
Intense earnestness should now take possession of us. Our slumbering energies should be aroused to untiring effort. Consecrated workers should go forth into the field, clearing the King's highway, and gaining victories in new places. My brother, my sister, is it nothing to you to know that every day souls are going down into the grave, unwarned and unsaved, ignorant of their need of eternal life and of the atonement made for them by the Saviour? Is it nothing to you that soon the world is to meet Jehovah over his broken law? Heavenly angels marvel that those who for so many years have had the light, have not carried the torch of truth into earth's dark places.
(RH January 12, 1911, 5)
Why are we not more in earnest? Why are so large a number idle? Why are not all who profess to love God seeking to enlighten their neighbors and their associates, that they may no longer neglect so great salvation? The Saviour was an untiring worker. He did not measure his work by hours. His time, his heart, his strength, were given to labor for the benefit of humanity. Entire days were devoted to labor, and entire nights were spent in prayer, that he might be ready to meet the wily foe.
(RH January 12, 1911, 6)
Heart Missionaries Wanted
It is heart missionaries that are needed. Spasmodic efforts will do little good. We must arrest the attention. We must be deeply in earnest. The man who loves God does not measure his work by the eight-hour system. He works at all hours, and is never off duty. As he has opportunity, he does good. Everywhere, at all times and in all places, he finds opportunities to work for God. He carries fragrance with him wherever he goes. A wholesome atmosphere surrounds his soul. The beauty of his well-ordered life and godly conversation inspires in others faith and hope and courage.
(RH January 12, 1911, 7)
When the reproach of indolence and slothfulness shall have been wiped away from the church, the Spirit of the Lord will be graciously manifested. Divine power will be revealed. The church will see the providential working of the Lord of hosts. The light of truth will shine forth in clear, strong rays, and, as in the time of the apostles, many souls will turn from error to truth. The earth will be lighted with the glory of the Lord.
(RH January 12, 1911, 8)
Heavenly angels have long been waiting for human agents—the members of the church—to co-operate with them in the great work to be done. They are waiting for you. So vast is the field, so comprehensive the design, that every sanctified heart will be pressed into service as an instrument of divine power.
(RH January 12, 1911, 9)
Let church-members bear in mind that the fact that their names are registered on the church-books will not save them. They must show themselves approved of God, workmen that need not to be ashamed. Work, O work, keeping eternity in view! Bear in mind that every power must be sanctified. A great work is to be done. Let the prayer go forth from unfeigned lips, “God be merciful unto us; ... that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.”Psalm 67:1, 2.
(RH January 12, 1911, 10)