in giving people well-chosen tracts. You might invite college students to meetings, to Christian social af fairs, to showings of Christian films, and to Christian camps. Like many of us, you may be placing too much em phasis upon the value of reaping in stead of upon sowing. Our joy should be in sowing as well as in reaping. C h r is t ia n s a n d P sy ch o log ists Why aren’t there more Christian psychologists? I suppose the same question might be asked of other professions. This is an interesting question and requ ires considerable discussion . However, I shall give only a brief answer. Most authors of psychological pub lications have attemped to explain human behavior without the Chris tian point of view, thereby contribut ing to a popular but false belief that true psychology is at variance with God’s revealed Word, the Bible. Nat urally, Christians rejected the sub ject and its teachings. Furthermore, I believe that many fine psycholo gists who have had much to con tribute to the world became extreme in some areas of the subject and attempted to substitute their knowl edge for salvation. Today Christians are beginning to realize that the great field of psy chology is of God—that the fault lies not with psychology but rather, with some individuals engaged in psy chology who, not knowing Christ the author of truth, have attempted to understand and explain true laws of cause and effect; yet giving no credence to supernatural causes of behavior. P a st, P r e sen t and Fu tu re A few years ago, before I was saved, I had a personal experience with a boy friend—an experience I look back on as being unfortunate. Now that I am living for the Lord and I am dating a fine Christian young man, I am uncertain just whqt my attitude should be toward tell ing him about the past. All of us have had unfortunate ex periences in the past. They may not
Read ing Our boy will be just under six when he starts to the first grade this year. Do you think he is too young to start reading? • That depends upon the individual child. However, numerous studies have been made in the field of read ing, and it is clearly shown that the average youngster is ready to begin reading when he is about six-and-one- half years of age. That means that some children are ready before and some are ready afterward. Reading is a complex process, re quiring considerable background and maturity. There is no virtue in forc ing a child ahead of his natural de velopment. A wealth of reading readi ness activities are highly beneficial, and I .am sure your son’s teacher will give him such activities to prepare him for more formal reading. Many children have been handicapped be cause they were pushed into activities before they were ready for them. Most parental errors occur more from thoughtlessness and from lack of insight than from lack of affection or concern for the child. W itn essin g I’m a student in a junior college where I try to witness to other stu dents about my Saviour. Although I have been saved about three years and have talked to a number of the fellows about the Lord, about all they do is argue. How can l be a better soul winner? Maybe I need some psy chology. Maybe you do! One of the greatest privileges we have is that of telling others about Christ. Our high schools and colleges constitute two of the most important and most fruitful mis sion fields of the world. Concerning arguing, it sounds as if you may be doing a little yourself. It takes two. Some of the most effec tive witnesses on college campuses make special efforts to know and be come interested in certain students. Afterward, they give them a simple account of their own experience. A simple, sincere testimony is almost irrefutable. There is also great value 26
have been the same kind of experi ence you had, nevertheless, no one can boast of a sinless history. We learn from the Bible that sin ful experiences are harmful. (See James 1:15.) The young person whose past is marked by many sin ful experiences, begins adulthood at a distinct disadvantage. However, God forgives and He for gets. On the authority of God’sWord, when you were saved, you were for given, and God ■has forgotten! Isn’t that wonderful? I suggest that you realize God’s forgiveness by reading such passages as Acts 13:38, Ephe sians 1:7, and 1 John 1:9. Public announcement concerning our private lives is usually not the part of wisdom. Such knowledge is usually detrimental. If God forgets, then why don’t you? An additional facet to this prob lem concerns marriage. If you are looking toward marriage soon, you have a sacred obligation of confi dence to the one whom you love. Happy marriages are based upon godliness, truthfulness, consideration and love. If two consecrated Christians are in love they can overlook unfortu nate experiences of the past, but one might question whether they would be expected to overlook outright in tentions to deceive. An excellent preparation for tomorrow is a clean slate today. I know of a young couple who were married several years when the husband learned about the sinful acts his wife engaged in before they were married. He was shocked, and for a time he lost confidence in her, not because of her past life (he had been guilty of the same), but be cause he had taken the marriage vows in honesty, having confided in her, but she had taken her vows in deceit. Readers are cordially Invited to submit ques tions which will be answered in future issues. Kindly address questions to Dr. Clyde M. Nar- ramore, Coordinator of Research and Guidance, Office of the Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools. Address: The King's Business, 558 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, Calif.— ED. THE KING'S BUSINESS
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