Christian Parents and Their Children

There is no infallible text book on bringing up children, and this present contribution does not attempt to fill the gap! It would be a bold man who said he knew all about being a parent, or even enough to write a booklet on the subject. But one does not need to be an expert on families to be able to write something useful.

I have two reasons for writing about parents and children other than the question of how parents and children manage to get along at home. The first is that if we say we know God, but do not let this influence the way things then get arranged at home, that knowledge of God is deficient—not necessarily invalid, but greatly deformed. By not letting our knowledge of God be 'earthed' in our homes, we are on the way to inventing a heresy to accommodate our false ways. It may not appear immediately, but as sure as can be, our beliefs will have to be modified.

The second is that it is in homes that people are trained for life—in the church, and in the wider community. The church can only be led by persons who have learned to come under authority and have learned to bear responsibility for those who are close to them. The church needs leaders who have learned to forgive at home—where it is impossible to walk away from aggravating situations. The church needs leaders whose social security arises from faithfulness at home and who, therefore, will not be intimidated by their need for social acceptance.