tion about young people. “When a child goes wrong, and the parents have done everything they can to bring him up properly, is it right for people to blame them? Are children given a free-will by God to do what ever they may choose? If all are sin ners, why should church members be so unkind to parents who have way ward children? Why don’t they pray for us instead?” This is an important point for we do need to uphold such parents be fore the throne of grace. Parents, however, must examine things closely. Our Lord was a perfect Teacher. He was the very Son of God in our midst. He had twelve followers in His group of disciples, yet Judas betrayed Him and went to his appointed place. The failure of Judas could hardly be charged to some failure of the Saviour. He did perfectly while we do not. Too often parents become busy in the world and do not communicate to the child love, understanding, ac ceptance, approval, security, and oth er things he so desperately needs. It is not always because of par ental weaknesses, however, that a child turns bad. It is the inherent de pravity of our souls that turns us bad. It is the love and encouragement of a father and mother, along with the proper kind of discipline and spiritual example, that keep children from going bad as they find Christ as their own personal Saviour. Sometimes chil dren do choose wrongly. They each have their own free wills. Because a father and mother are Christ-like is not insurance that a child will grow up without any traces of wayward ness. If we dedicate our children to the Lord, praying daily for them, the promise is still true, and we can trust the Lord for it, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” * * * The only difference between a buzzard and a gossip is that the bird of prey waits till the person is dead before it tears him apart. 20
her, believing that she may be trying to displace their real mother in the father’s interest and affections. A new wife may want the husband to put away the dishes of his former com panion and to change the household around because it reminds her that she isn’t first.. The second wife should encourage the little children to talk about their real mother, unless there is something of an immoral nature behind the cir cumstances. Children need to see that you are their friend and not trying to displace the other one. A person doesn’t win the affection of another the first day. There are too many as sociations and experiences which will never be erased. In the loneliness for their mother, children will not soon forget. Come into the home with kindness and love. The little child will quickly respond to such a sincere and genuine ap proach. They may have resentment that their father did not remain sin gle, but this will be overcome with Christ-likeness. Treat these precious ones as your own. You will win your own place of affection with them. All counsel cannot apply, however, for much depends on the age of the children and individual circumstances. Be assured, every move you make will be carefully analyzed and scrutinized. They will see if you complain about the ways of the other mother. Don’t try to change everything overnight. Do not make comparisons with what was before and what is now. Ask the Lord to win the hearts of these new loved ones. The Lord Jesus Christ, by His Holy Spirit’s infilling their experiences, can tuck into their lives ideas, concepts, and affections so that they will respond to new ones. The children will also be watching to see what kind of a helpmeet you are to their father. This is a most im portant area. To be sure, there are many difficulties and problems in volved, however, our dear Saviour can give you the grace and wisdom to be spiritually victorious. Here is another interesting ques
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