Dale Evans tells us that she often reads Bible stories while her family eats. Her food may get cold, but the restful atmosphere the Word of God creates at the table is well worth the inconvenience of eating cold food once in a while. We give him his own Bible story books as soon as he is able to read. When well-written, the books will bring to him thrilling stories as well as Biblical facts. He will be keen to read them and by repeti tion will get to know the stories by heart. Soon we shall be able to teach him to memorize important texts. Children love doing this. The family altar is often the time chosen for them to repeat them. God’s words to Israel have their application to us today. “Ye shall teach [my words] to your chil dren, speaking of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deut. 11:19). Of Timothy we are told that “ from a babe” he knew “the sacred writings” (2 Tim. 3:15 ASV). It was his great blessing that he was taught all the scripture that was available in his day. By early teaching, the child begins to see the importance of reading the Bible. He needs to find out its meaning and application to life and try to live by its precepts as God enables him. Attendance at church on Sunday mornings but tresses our spiritual training. As soon as the child is able to go out, he is able to go to church. Mother will wheel his pram into the back of the church. Shei will stay as long as she feels is right and then leave, though it is training o f the child rather than the comments of fellow-worshippers that is the de termining factor. The first few visits may be for only a very few moments but they lay the founda tion for his life of church-going. There are likely to be difficulties in the early months, but persistence with no breaks is essential. A gap of only six months is a serious risk. By attendance he will learn that it is custom ary for Christians to go to church. Gradually he learns the purpose of church going. He begins to learn of God and His will there as well as at home. As one young child put it: “God is in our church. We sing to Him.” Instead of his being rebellious at going, as sometimes happens, he will be eager to attend. This will avoid the excuse sometimes of fered: “ I was made to go to church when I was young and I just can’t take it now.” When we have done this for our children, we may expect them to “ grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). This spiritual growth will fortify them against the temptations that they meet. They will be a great blessing to their home and nation and powerful instruments for God to use in His service.
strength to battle against the onslaught of trials. We need wisdom to act rightly in difficult situations. Most of all, we need the sense of the Lord’s pres ence with us all day. Thanksgiving will naturally follow. As “ every good gift and every perfect gift’’ comes from the Lord, we teach our children that saying “ thank you” is as necessary as saying “ please.” Learning to pray is vital for spiritual growth. This too begins at the child’s birth. Before he is able to say any words himself, his mother prays in his presence. She thanks God with the child and for the child and that by name. She also thanks God for the other members of the family or neighbours in which he has shown interest. When any important incident happens, she prays aloud about it in the child’s presence. It may be for an aunt who is ill or for a hand or knee that has been hurt. The children see and take in what is happening. As mother prays, the child notices that her eyes are closed and her head is bowed; he hears the voice that is reverent and subdued. Our prayer is related to the child’s own experi ence and comprehension, remembering that he un derstands concrete realities though not abstract conceptions. We limit ourselves to what is mean ingful in the daily life of a small child and express it in words which he himself would use. So he begins to realize just how important prayer is in our lives and what a great privilege it is to talk to God. In this way he sees that God has a natural place in our daily conversation. Soon he will want to join in saying something himself. By the time he is four or five, he will enjoy talking with God. We shall help him to pray as soon as he is able to speak to us or with his broth ers and sisters on other matters. We shall teach him to use his own ideas as he prays, however im perfectly these ideas are expressed. We encourage him to talk of his prayer-life and later ask him to take part in the family altar. So learning to pray becomes for him a happy and valued experience. At an early age, he then learns to speak to the One who loves him and who is able to help him in any situation. As soon as the child is old enough, we give Bible teaching. We shall not try to teach him theological concepts such as the Trinity, but rather what is related to his own experience and capabilities. The familiar stories from the Bible will be used. The Old Testament has some suitable stories in the book o f Genesis and in the lives o f the great men such as David and Elijah. The incidents in our Lord’s life as they are related in the four Gospels are the main source for New Testament stories. We take care in our choice of stories so that we give the children a balanced picture o f Jesus, not as One who was only a kind Man, but who was God’s own Son, equal with Him.
DECEMBER, 1966
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