Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 21
August 21, 1969
NUMBER 16, PAGE 8

"And A Little Child .

(Name Withheld)

The innocence and guilelessness of a child before he has learned the rationalization, hypocrisy, and skillful duplicity of his sinful elders often make him exemplary. I have two illustrations in mind but have hesitated to tell them as they involve a preacher's children — mine.

Preacher's youngsters often get more than there share of attention and this creates special problems. They can either be spoiled or unfairly criticized or both. Some people do not realize that children are children no matter whose they are. We have tried to keep this in mind while rearing ours, and unless I am fooled, they are not overly aware that some think of them differently, and I do not think that they feel that they are or should be different from other children. I know we have never required that they do or not do a thing because their daddy is a preacher, but what we have required has been because we are their parents and we have certain standards; what is found in God's word. Maintaining this concept has necessitated expressing some independence and demurring to behave as property of a congregation.

This is not to say that we have been exemplary parents. We have run the gamut from over restrictiveness to throwing up our hands. Sometimes I'm afraid spankings have come as much out of anger as concern for discipline. We have never been able to match the cool flawless sagacity of Uncle Bill on the television program, "Family Affair." There have been times when we have helped with the problems of others and shown them attention when our children needed us too, but we thought that we could make it up to them later — maybe. It hurts to remember such times and I still do not have any over all rule to cover such situations. But we have prayed about it. A lot. And with the help of the Lord, things seem so far to have balanced out. We have had our moments of parental pride, mortification, anger, and uproarious laughter.

What I am going to tell you does draw attention to our children, but in the past I have used the children of other members as illustrations of good examples, and if mine are like other children I believe they can be so used too.

Consider a fourth grader whose teacher was going to have this class prepare an invitation to the school bazaar as an English exercise. He knows that cake walks and other forms of elementary gambling are to be engaged in there so he takes it up with his father, who sometimes wants to make everything as easy as possible in an already otherwise difficult world. The child is told that since it is for English that is undoubtedly just practice in preparing invitations and that such will be all right. But that is not all it was. The next day the youngster, given the assignment, found out that the invitations would be posted in public places around town. He approached the teacher and explained that he felt gambling was wrong and that such an invitation would be like asking people to do something wrong. His teacher excused him from the exercise. Relating this later, a tear born of numerous emotions crept, surely imperceptibly, into his father's eye as the youngster recounted, "You get nervous and it's hard to say the right words when you're trying to explain something like that." But the thought occurred that it will not be so hard the next time, and that he had learned about the requirements of conviction early. It is a lesson that will not have to be learned later when it will be even more difficult. He had taught his father, who had expected too little of him, a lesson.

Two weeks later our third grader, without prompting or specific preparation for such contingency, asked to be excused from a certain exercise at school in celebration of Christmas because, don't believe that December 25th is Jesus' birthday." Our sophisticated rationalization was ready to alleviate the situation, as much as possible, but then if he recognized the inconsistency of any participation, that would be a mistake. In the future perhaps he will not be prone, as many of the rest of us are, to try to justify inconsistencies. "And a little child shall lead them."

I'm sure others of you have had similar experiences. What should we learn from them? For one thing, children are highly idealistic. They will be willing to do right if they are taught what is right and then supported in it. I have seen this often demonstrated by children of faithful Christians. I have also seen the tragedy of compromise gnawing away parental resolve. Too often we teach children properly, or at least expose them to faithful teaching, and then destroy it all by requiring less, "for their sakes." If we all would learn the lesson herein, how blessed our children. I am convinced that properly prepared children can take it; it's the parents who are weaklings.

I say these things timorously as a parent for we may yet fall on our faces, and we haven't created perfect models as it is, but for the moment, accept these comments as a tribute from a happy daddy to two little boys, who will receive copies of this when they are older.