MY GLORY
Aunt Betty Talks with Teenagers RULES: You must be 13-19; you must give name, address and age, but only first name and city will be used. Letters will be regarded as confidential. Send to this column in care of The King's Business.
My debt was paid Out there on Calvary’s hilltop, The awful debt that nothing else could pay. He bore my sin, Christ took my place forever. 0 wondrous thot! I’m free in Him, today. Could anything In life, cause me to glory? Is anything in me of worth to Him? Not one least part Of life can do Him honor, Except I let Him rule and reign within. But, God forbid That I should ever glory, Save in that cross on which He gave His life; By it I’m Crucified unto the world And the world to me, With all its gains and strife. My life is His, In me He is abiding; Moment by moment there is peace within, As trusting Him For grace and power and wisdom, 1 yield my talents, time, and plans to Him. My prayer each day, Thru hours of cloud or sunshine, Is, that no matter what the day shall bring, There will be nothing But will glorify Him, As tongue, and life, His wondrous praises sing. “ M oth er M a c ” (F. McOuat) victory by the power of His Holy Spirit. Look up in the Concordance the references having to do with “ love,” “ forgiveness,” “ kindness” and “ gentleness,” and you will be surprised how many of them are ap plicable to two Christians getting along together in a Christian home! 3. Put yourself out of the way of temp tation. When the house is filled with your sister’s girl friends, lock yourself in your room with one of your projects, or go play ball or have a swim with a friend; or better still, cut the grass or do an errand for your mother. Keep your possessions in your own room 4. When you feel that you are sincere about mending your ways, have a heart- to-heart talk with your parents and ask them to help you. If some rules need to be made to apply to both you and your sister, I am sure they will co-operate. 5. Look for the good things in your sister, not the faults that make her a “ pest” to you. She is just a “ little kid” in your eyes, but if she is a real Christian, that makes her special in these days. Ask her once in a while if you can help her with something! She may faint, but you can always pick her up! Ask her about the things that interest her and who knows you may discover she’s really worth cul tivating!
there is a little more time, the children should be encouraged not only to give their prayer requests, but also to tell of answers to prayer they experience during the day. It will require the help of all to accomplish this, but it will be worth it. Dear Aunt Betty: I hope you will not think my question too silly for your column and that you will give me an answer. M y problem is that I cannot get along with my kid sister. I am 16 and she is 14, and we fight all the time. The funny part of it is that we are both Christians, go to Sunday School, and Christian Endeavor, and Church, and w e really love the Lord. Our mother and father are Christians, too, and they think the way we talk and act is terrible. I guess they are right but I don’t know what to do for m y sister irritates- me all the time. She criticizes m y posture, and m y clothes. 1 like to go around the house in old jeans and sweater and she calls me a “slob,” so right back I call her a “snob” because she is always in front of the mir ror. Our folks are very fair and we have turns having our friends over. But when the house is full of those giggling girls, 1 just can’t take it, and she doesn’t like the boys that come to see me either. And she bothers m y things. Lately I have been reading some good books on how a Christian boy should live and, believe me, all this quarrelling does not look too good. Please help me, for sometimes I think l almost hate m y sister. Harry Portland, Ore. M y dear Harry: Your question is not silly at all, and it does not surprise me either. Your exper ience is that of brothers and sisters every where. In fact, someone once wrote: “ Brothers and sisters are as much natural enemies as are cats and dogs.” But you certainly are right, Harry, that such a condition ought not to exist in a Christian home. You and your sister should think about the testimony that you are giving to the young people who come into your house. You are most fortunate in having a Christian home where your friends are welcome, and you are letting down your parents if you do not set a good example of Christian conduct. Here are a few suggestions I would like you to try: 1. Sit down and really think this through. I am sure you do not hate your sister at all. You feel a real concern about her when she is sick or in trouble, do you not? Remember you are older; I’m sure you have been told this so many times you are tired of it, but nevertheless, it is true. You should be “ bigger” than she is in every way, with a two years’ head start. Ask yourself honestly if you want to get along with her or if you deliber ately provoke her to anger? Don’t excuse yourself by saying that she does the same things to you. 2. Now lay each one of these things before the Lord and ask Him to give you
Dear Aunt Betty: There are eight in our family. 1 have two brothers in High School; I am in Junior High; I have two sisters in the grades, and my little brother is in kinder garten, and there are of course m y father and mother. W e are all Christians and go to a real good church. What worries me is this: W e never have fam ily worship in our home. Our pastor often talks about it. The only time we ever pray together is when we say grace and generally the littler kids say that. 1 have a girl friend whose folks have f am i l y w o r s h ip and when I stay with her all night, 1 get in on this too and I love it. Once I asked my mother, “ W hy don’t we read the Bible and pray as a fam ily?” and she answered, “ W ith this rat race around here?” And it is just that, too, for each one of us gets up in time to grab a bite of breakfast and dash off to school. Mom drives Dad to the bus and so we are all running around in dif ferent directions all the time. What can we do? 1 think it would help all of us if we could calm down and have fam ily worship. Judy Billings, Montana My dear Judy: Your problem is not an easy one to solve for it requires the co-operation of eight people! You presented a picture of Amer ican family life that is both delightful and distressing. The interest in church, busi ness and school is commendable, but the pressure that is engendered in keeping such a strenuous program going often de feats the peace and poise of a Christian home. I feel that the busier one is, the more need there is for waiting upon God. It keeps an individual — a home too —“ from making serious mistakes. Of course, Judy, your father is the head of your home and from him and your mother must come the directions for its program. Your mother doubtless feels the burden of the family activities more than any one else. To make a place for family worship in this scheme, your parents will have to enforce a strict schedule. First of all, there should be a rule about getting up and a definite hour for breakfast for everyone, no matter what time they must leave. Right at the table, before the clan scatters, your father could read the Word, and you could take turns in praying. Have definite requests. Family worship need not be long but it should be unhurried. Perhaps in a sweet way you could talk to your parents about this, but do not try to dictate. And help your mother all you can with the many tasks that are hers with such a large and energetic family. If you cannot get morning family wor ship started, you might be able to get together in the evening with less difficulty. Have it early enough to include the youngest with his earlier bedtime, and the older ones who may be going out for the evening. I trust that it will be established both morning and evening worship for there is no influence comparable to that of the reading of the Word of God and offering prayer in a home. At night, when
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