own relationship with Christ, but also because of the example it sets for my children. How can brothers and sisters in a home get along together? The children are arguing and picking at each other. Maybe these are too com mon, but the problems seem to be in tensifying.” It is perfectly natural for children to be rivals. One reason why they fight and bicker is because they see that we ourselves are not peaceable. Children pick up what they see the parents doing. We must provide them a wholesome atmosphere. There must be love, tenderness, and joy in the home. Several suggestions would include making certain that you do not com pare one child with another. This will create rivalry. Too many parents over indulge one child to the exclusion of the other. For the first child in the family, he may receive all of the love and attention for several years. Then, all of a sudden, a new little one ar rives, and he is no longer the one on whom all of the attention is focal ized. This can cause real problems. The first child needs to be prepared by being told that a baby brother or sister is growing now in the mother’s womb. Some day the Lord Jesus Christ will bring this little one into the home. It is a wonderful time to prepare the young heart. Do not so monopolize a child’s time that he will not be prepared for the day when he cannot have all your affection. Give to each an equal amount of love. Let them have their own place and develop their own personality. We have to realize that some chil dren are more quiet and retiring. This will require more wisdom and patience to understand. There are no “pat” an swers. Ask the Lord for His guidance by the Holy Spirit that you may do His perfect will. Do not make one child the standard of behavior for the other. As an ex ample, here is a little boy in a public school system who was punching every had on the nose while on the play ground. No one knew what to do, until the school psychologist discovered that
the boy was wetting the bed. His mother had been shaming him when it was something the boy could not help. In some cases children do things to attract attention. Since this boy felt inferior at home, he wanted to prove himself on the playground. Re member how Joseph’s brothers hated him because he was the favorite of his father, Jacob? Too many parents themselves are not contented but are materialistic. If we are always coveting and pressur ing our children for more achieve ment, just to minister to our own sel fish pride, we will have real problems on our hands. Rejoice in the goodness of the Lord and enjoy one another without rivalry. We never permitted fussing and fighting in our home. One was not allowed to “badger” the other. There must always be a wholesome ness. The time will come for discipline to be meted out in concerned and con sistent love. If we have a joyful, quiet, peaceful home where there is love be tween adults, the children will reflect this in their own lives. We recognize in our world so much love and rivalry between races, classes and nations because men are not brothers redeemed in Christ. I f we, as believers, are churlish like those who have never received the Saviour, ¡ve cannot expect to have a happy home or to be any kind of a testimony to the lost. Ask the Lord, in gratitude, to give you His promised peace and joy, along with that perfect wisdom which comes only from above. Rev. Harry Bascom, president of the Biota Alumni Association, with Mr. William Eitzen, executive secretary of the organization. Chaplain Bascom, a graduate of 1949, Is director of the Christian Jail Workers, Inc.
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