Kindness, A Virtue, April 12

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4.

God calls upon believers to cease finding fault, to cease making hasty, unkind speeches. Parents, let the words that you speak to your children be kind and pleasant, that angels may have your help in drawing them to Christ. A thorough reformation is needed in the home church. Let it begin at once. Let all grumbling and fretting and scolding cease. Those who fret and scold shut out the angels of heaven and open the door to evil angels.

Let the husband and wife remember that they have burdens enough to carry without making their lives wretched by allowing differences to come in. Those who give place to little differences invite Satan into their home. The children catch the spirit of contention over mere trifles. Evil agencies do their part to make parents and children disloyal to God.

My brethren and sisters, will you not be laborers together with God, working for peace and harmony. Pray for the sweet, molding influence of the Holy Spirit. Let your lips be governed by the law of kindness. Refuse to be sour, uncourteous, unkind. Be true to your profession of faith....

When you agree to wear Christ’s yoke, when you heed 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” (Matthew 11:29), you will cease to bind yokes on the necks of others. You will cease to find fault. You will no longer regard it as a virtue to differ from others. You will dwell on those points on which you can agree.

We are preparing to meet our Lord when He comes in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. In this grand and noble work, we are to help one another. Parents are to bring all the sunshine and pleasantness that they can into their homes. They are to make their homes full of sunshine by kindly words and deeds....

Do not serve the enemy of God by exhibiting a harsh, unkind spirit. Those only will enter heaven who have overcome the temptation to speak and act unkindly and harshly. Act out the mind of Christ, speak the words of Christ, and the Lord Jesus, by His Holy Spirit, will be a guest in your home.—Letter 133, April 12, 1904, to Edson and Emma White.