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Teaching Children the Truth

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 4, 1907

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 84, No. 14.

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Teaching Children the Truth

By Luella B. Priddy

Child-Saving—No. 2

Teaching Children the Truth

MRS. LUELLA B. PRIDDY
It is a blessed privilege to teach the truth “as it is in Jesus,” to the lambs of the flock. The very effort to place the crib low so that they may reach it, feeds our own souls.
After all is said that can be said of the importance of the church-school work and the Sabbath-school work, we must still admit that they can never take the place of the parents’ work. If there is failure in that, it may counteract all the good effects of these other efforts to save their souls. The special truths for this time should be taught to them most thoroughly. The psalmist said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Ps. 119: 11. The word can not be hid in the heart until it is first in the mind. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” Ps. 119: 9.
The Holy Spirit works in harmony with the Word. Then how important it is that the mind of each child shall be a treasure-house of the Scriptures. It is not only a light to guide the way, but there is keeping power in it.
“Conversion is the work of a lifetime,” and it takes time to learn the science of salvation. The child can be trained to think, speak, and live in harmony with God’s word more easily than older persons can. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” Eccl. 12: 1.
Many parents excuse themselves from teaching their children the Word of God, by saying, “I do not have the gift of teaching. The church-school teacher or the Sabbath-school teacher can do it better than I can.” They may do it ever so well, but the work of fathers and mothers is needed also. God has placed the responsibility upon parents, therefore he will give wisdom for the work. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1: 5.
When we have asked God for wisdom, and we have diligently studied his Word, it is our privilege to believe that we shall have divine help in doing that which it is our duty to do.
Mothers sometimes ask the question, “When shall I begin to teach my children about God? Are they old enough?” To this question we can always answer, Begin now. It is difficult to determine how early children may receive religious impressions, but they can learn the truth as readily as they can learn other things; and they learn the soonest the things they hear the most about.
A little girl under two years old lost her mother, and was adopted into another family. At that time she could speak only a few words, but afterward when she had learned to talk better, she used expressions that had been used by her parents, but were never used in the family into which she had been adopted. This showed that lasting impressions had been made on her mind long before she was able to express her ideas in words.
The mother instinctively talks to her baby at the very beginning of its life about father and mother and the little brothers and sisters. In this way she teaches it to love the members of the family. In the same simple way she can teach the child that God loves the baby, and that father and mother love God, so that the first lispings of the baby lips may be of our loving Heavenly Father.
A young child can not understand long sentences, nor comprehend many ideas at a time. The truth can be taught in the most natural way. When the little hands reach out to grasp the pretty flower, or the bright eyes gaze upon the beautiful moon, how easy it is to tell him that God made these things to make baby happy, and that God loves the baby. The little heart will be filled with joy as he learns these things.
Sing to him over and over the good old hymns until he learns them so well that he can never forget them.
It is said of the infidel Voltaire that he was a very bright child. When only three years old, an abbé noticed his quickness to learn, and began teaching him infidel poetry. Naturally his thoughts drifted into the channel prepared for them, and he became the noted scoffer that he was.
It is always better to let the good seed get the start of the weeds in the spring. We can not begin the work of teaching the truth too soon, nor keep it up too long, provided it is done in the right way. There is a way of driving religion at children in a scolding manner that hardens them. But they will not tire of the dear old Bible stories. As you go about your daily tasks, talk with them about the beautiful new earth that we soon shall see, with its never-fading flowers, its sweet music, the gentle animals that a little child can lead, the angels in their glory, and, above all, the lovely Jesus. Such conversation will cause them to long to be there, and to see him.
There is a way to rear children so that the secret spring that controls their lives will be the ‘love of the truth.’ The truth can be made so attractive to them that they will choose ‘rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.’
Markham, Ontario.