tion by bad behaviour and foolishness. Frequently people will ask, “Why do children lie?” One of the basic rea sons is that they are seeking some type of recognition. A young man re cently told me that he had grown up in a home where there was no love. His mother was married many times and didn’t live with them. He lived with his granny part of the time. Finally he was sent back to his father who was an alcoholic. He told me, “He beat me so much as a young teenager, I ran away from home. I have been wandering here and there ever since. I was in prison and have just been let out to come to this church service. I was caught passing forged checks. Yet, I didn’t spend a penny on myself. I gave it to friends who had a need. Recently I forged a check in the amount of several thousand dollars. I didn’t spend any of it on myself. I gave it to other people. This made them think I was a big shot. I wanted them to say, ‘0, you’re a good Joe. You’re such a kind and generous fellow.’ I see now I was only seeking approval and affection which I had never received.” What a tragic end to life. It would all seem most hopeless without the won derful love of our blessed Saviour to lift us up and give us assurance of sins forgiven, and of acceptance with God. If your child is misbehaving, it may be because he is not gaining your ap proval. If they fail to get recognition for the things they do, then they are going to go out and do evil. Many problems arise from a feeling of being rejected. In dealing with young people everyday, we see so many who believe they have been set aside by their own family and as a result they don’t care about anything. One of the marvelous things about the Lord Jesus Christ was that He accepted people rather than rejecting them. Peter had confidence instilled because the Lord called him a “rock.” He final ly became one. A person must feel that he is the master of his own situation and that he can deal successfully with most of his problems. If you have a child who is doing poorly in school, you ought to try to encourage him.
Don’t always be brow-beating him. He can master his problems with your help, even to some extent if it is physi cal or perhaps mental. Praise builds up confidence. The military used to have “obstacle” courses. Now they call them “con fidence” courses. Men are put through swamps and are made to climb over high walls. This is so that in the field of battle they will have confidence. A child, similarly, needs to gain mastery M A R Y H AD A FAITH IN GOD Mary had a faith in God, It means so much, you know; And everywhere that Mary went, Her faith was sure to go. It followed her to school one day, And there she found a rule; The Court Supreme would angry be To hear a prayer at school. And so her teacher stopped her prayer, When grown-ups caused a fuss; Their cries of anguish filled the air, "School prayers are so unjust!" "To Me let all the children come," The Saviour said one day; Forbid them not," His stern com mand, For grown-ups to obey. Oh, Mary dear, forgive these ones Who just don't understand; If they but shared your priceless faith, School prayers would ne'er be banned. We grown-ups need your kind of trust And faith that long endures; To guide us o'er life's storm-tossed seas, So please hold fast to yours. — Bruce E. Stocking in the home or else he will seek it somewhere outside, meeting real diffi culties head on. If we do not have af fection, approval and mastery we need not give up in despair for we can cul tivate them by the grace of Christ. The Holy Spirit seeks to impart di vine wisdom as we allow Him to. He will not force, but waits upon a will ing heart. Are you ready to be the kind of a mother or a father the Lord intended you to be?
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