Topic(s): Family, Parenting

Children are precious. They were brought into this world through no desire of their own. Many are abused, used as pawns, neglected, denied, and betrayed. Such is not fair. Dr. R. F. Hertz, a British author and psychologist, engaged in a research project of wide interest. He has asked almost 100,000 children between 8 and 14 and from all walks of life in twenty-four countries to make a list of ten rules of BEHAVIOR OF PARENTS. Here is the list:

Do not quarrel in front of your children.
Treat all your children with equal affection.
Never lie to a child.
Develop mutual tolerance between parents.
Maintain comradeship between parents and children.
Treat your children’s friends as welcome visitors in the house.
Always answer children’s questions.
Don’t blame or punish your children in the presence of children from next door.
Concentrate on your child’s good points.
Do not overemphasize his failings.
Be constant in your affection and your mood.

This list should cause parents to stop, look, and listen. Read over it carefully, thoughtfully, and with self-inspection and evaluation of your home. How are children treated in YOUR home? They deserve the best. God gives this advice, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
                         —Carroll Sites, Higden, Arkansas

He Knows

Topic(s): Humor, Prayer

A little boy was asked to say the prayer before dinner. He thanked God for each of his friends, naming them one by one. He then thanked God for each family member, from his parents to his brothers and sisters, his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then he gave thanks for the ham, the mashed potatoes, the corn, the green beans, the salad, the bread, the butter, the pickles, and even the salt and the pepper. Then came a long pause, and everyone waited and waited. Finally, the little fellow looked up at his mother and asked, “If I thank God for the broccoli, won’t He know that I’m lying?” (Read 1 John 3:20.)

The Plain Truth About Money

Topic(s): Christian Life, Priorities

Tiny children are often fascinated with money because it is shiny and small enough to go into their mouths. Then, kids reach the point when they understand that money has the power to buy things. That is a new reason for them to like money. Later, in their teenage years their thinking can be dominated by a desire to possess money in order to impress others or to buy things that dad and mom won’t buy for them. As adults, well, a lot of adults are still fond of money.

Money in and of itself possesses no moral qualities. Money is neither righteous nor unrighteous. Money is an inanimate object, a means or tool to help humans obtain something else. It is one’s attitude toward money or riches that counts. In order to help us keep a handle on our attitude, we offer the following six truthful statements about money. May they serve as a reminder and warning to all of us.

(1) Money cannot buy love. Way back in the 1960s the Beatles were singing, “I don’t care too much for money, 'cause money can’t buy me love.” It was true then, and it is still true now. Money may impress folks and attract them to a money-possessing person, but money cannot buy genuine love. Young people, are you listening?

(2) Money doesn’t grow on trees. How many times did we hear our parents tell us that when we wanted something that we could not afford? Because it is true that money does not grow on trees and we cannot have it at the snap of our fingers, then we need to be good stewards with the funds that God has placed in our hands (1 Corinthians 4:2). Our Lord says, “Owe no man anything” (Romans 13:8). Christians ought not to use credit cards to the extent that they get themselves into debt that they cannot pay off.

(3) Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). The love of money is covetousness, and covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Such a love affair with material riches has ruined friendships, marriages, and even congregations. How sad.

(4) Money never has and never will save a soul. Money can be used to help support the preaching of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:8, 9). It is also an instrument that assists us in edifying the faithful, but still, money cannot save souls.

(5) Money will not accompany us when we leave this world. Regardless of how much money one has, the money stays behind—you can’t take it with you. “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:7).

(6) Money is not success, and success is not possessing money. Oh, if we could only help folks, including ourselves at times, see this point! Some rich people will go to hell. Some poor folks will go to heaven. One’s eternal destiny is not determined by his/her financial status. You want success, you say? Then listen carefully to what the Lord once told Joshua: “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8). THAT is true success.

Let each of us resolve to accept the truth about money, and in the process beware of “the deceitfulness of riches” (Mark 4:19). —Roger D. Campbell

A Merry Heart Doeth Good...

Topic(s): Humor

A husband, trying to prove to his wife that women talk more than men, showed her a study which indicated that men use about 15,000 words a day, whereas women use 30,000 words a day. She thought about this, and then she told him that women use twice as many words as men because they have to repeat everything they say. Stunned at this, he said, “What?”

How About the Grownups? “Daddy, I want to ask you a question,” said little Bobby after his first day in Sunday school. “Yes, Bobby, what is it? “The teacher was reading the Bible to us, all about the children of Israel building the temple, the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel making sacrifices. Didn’t the grown-ups do anything?”

"A merry heart doeth good..." —Proverbs 17:22