The Gospel Day; Or, the Light of ChristianityOrr, Charles Ebert
Religion
The Gospel Day; Or, the Light of Christianity
Orr, Charles Ebert
Christianity
You must be indefatigable in your efforts at training. Constant daily
training is needed. As one wrong act makes it easier to do a second wrong
act, so one right act makes it easier to do a second right act. It is
comparatively easy for the child to fall into bad habits. Training,
constant daily training is needed to keep the little one from evil ways.
Lead him into right action. By repeating a right action it becomes easy to
perform it. You must never think of becoming discouraged, although it
appears so natural for your child to do wrong and so difficult to get him
to do right. You must go on training, trusting in the promise, teaching,
reproving, correcting, punishing, ever looking upward for grace and
wisdom.
Be careful of your example. It exerts a powerful influence. At one time in
his life, the writer was quick in his actions and his words. He never
received such a reproving as when one day his little boy under a
provocation acted and spoke in the exact manner and tone of his papa. It
cut to the heart.
It may seem at times that the voice of conscience is almost stifled, but
you must hope on and labor zealously as in the command: “And thou shalt
teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when them
sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deut. 6:7.
Many parents seeing their young child doing or saying something wrong
often think it of not much consequence, because the child is young and the
wrong is very slight. You do not know the power of habit, and how one
wrong, howsoever slight, leads to a greater one. Habit has been likened to
a spider’s web, which at first can be easily broken, but after continued
indulgence binds its victim as with a strong cable, making reformation
almost impossible. The same is true of good and right conduct. At first it
may require an effort to perform a certain right act, but after repetition
it is accomplished naturally and without thought. Therefore be vigilant in
training your child to right action, and carefully avoid everything that
would lead to evil acts or feelings. To tease a child is to develop an
angry disposition. Some fathers think it quite laughable to hear the
little two-year-old say to its mamma, “I won’t do it,” but he shall
afterward pay dearly for his sport.
Parents think it “cute” to see their little one shake its little fist at
papa and mamma. Through such education the day will probably come when he
will shake his fist at you so that it will strike like a hammer on your
heart. We have heard many parents laughing at their little children saying
“smart things,” little conscious of what these things are leading to.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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