Teach Them Thy Sons
by Tom Watson, Jr.
of self-pity by young folk whose lot it was to be born to parents devoted to the full-time service of the Lord Jesus. In neither case does it honor the Name of the One who has “ given unto us the min istry of reconciliation,” and we must apply a quick and effective cure to the cause. Most Chritsian workers I have questioned seem fully convinced of the tremendous responsibility they have; not only in the spiritual guidance, but also in the psycho logical orientation of their children. The sad fact remains, however, that this responsibility is neglected with a shocking regularity. In the end, both the child and the parent ——as well as the testimony of Jesus Christ — are destined to suffer. One second-generation mission ary, bom in Korea and now the mother of five teen-agers herself, blames “ parental presumption” for the attitude difficulties so common among children of full-time Chris tian workers. “Just because the par ents are sure of their own calling — probably to a place of sacrificial living — as the servants of Christ,” she said, “ it is dangerous to take it for granted that the child will ac cept automatically the fact of his own calling without patient spirit ual guidance from Mother and Dad. He can’t help being in the parson age, in the out-of-the-way place or on the mission field. He had noth ing to say about it, and he may build up a wall of resentment against his ‘ill fortune’ before the parent is aware of it.” That the children of Christian
workers und e r g o hardships not common to other children is a fact parents must face honestly at the outset. In a real sense these young ones think of themselves as goldfish in a mercilessly transparent bowl. They are called upon to adjust themselves rapidly to different en vironments — and this without being consulted as to their desires in the matter. They are expected to endure hardships or make sacrifices as a matter of course, and they may well come to resent the apparently luxurious and unmolested lives of children of the world — or even of other Christian children who have more of material things than they. Another vital consideration is the reality of the child’s own Christian experience, and parental neglect at this point is likely to have a grave and far-reaching effect. The testi mony of a missionary in Japan, himself the son of China mission aries, proves the urgency of spirit ual discernment on the part of the parent to determine when and whether the child himself is genu inely converted. This man was raised by godly parents in a conservative, faith mis sionary society. He was educated at a Bible-centered mission school in China. His parents, busily serv ing the Lord, questioned him super ficially in early childhood and took it for granted that he was converted. Yet this “Missionary Kid” became a real problem as he grew older and according to his own testimony was not actually saved until he at tended a missionary conference at
nly take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons” (Deut. 4:9). When the songleader called for testimonies, a young, neatly dressed girl arose from her seat near the front of the auditorium and ad dressed the college Prayer Band. “ I was raised in a Christian home,” she began, “ and I thank the Lord for Christian parents; but I’m an ‘MK,’ and I guess everybody knows what that means. . . .” There was a ripple of amusement from those who met each Wednes day night for prayer, singing and studying the Word. She had used the well-known abbreviation for “Missionary Kid,” and none of her schoolmates failed to understand the implication of the term. To most of those present it meant aus terity, restrictions and exposure to hardship, and it was often used as a term of self-pity. Her testimony, rather than bringing glory to her Lord, brought self-conscious smiles to the faces of a handful whose ex periences had been similar; sympa thetic glances from a few others. The term “Missionary Kid” or its domestic equivalent, “ Preacher’s Brat” is by no means a rare one in the brutally-frank society of the bobbysoxers. I have heard it used in “what-more-can-you-expect” de rision with reference to kids raised in the parsonage or on the mission compound. I have heard it used self-deprecatingly and with a note
The King's Business/October 1958
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