Chapter 45—With Love and Firmness
Two Ways and Their End—There are two ways to deal with
children—ways that differ widely in principle and results. Faithfulness
and love, united with wisdom and firmness, in accordance with the
teachings of God’s Word, will bring happiness in this life and in the
next. Neglect of duty, injudicious indulgence, failure to restrain or
correct the follies of youth, will result in unhappiness and final ruin to
the children and disappointment and anguish to the parents
Love has a twin sister, which is duty. Love and duty stand side
by side. Love exercised while duty is neglected will make children
headstrong, willful, perverse, selfish, and disobedient. If stern duty is
left to stand alone without love to soften and win, it will have a similar
result. Duty and love must be blended in order that children may be
properly disciplined
Uncorrected Faults Bring Unhappiness—Wherever it seems
necessary to deny the wishes or oppose the will of a child, he should
be seriously impressed with the thought that this is not done for the
gratification of the parents, or to indulge arbitrary authority, but for his
own good. He should be taught that every fault uncorrected will bring
unhappiness to himself and will displease God. Under such discipline
children will find their greatest happiness in submitting their own will
to the will of their heavenly Father
Youth who follow their own impulse and inclination can have no
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real happiness in this life, and in the end will lose eternal life
Kindness to Be the Law of the Home—God’s method of gov-
ernment is an example of how children are to be trained. There is no
oppression in the Lord’s service, and there is to be no oppression in the
home or in the school. Yet neither parents nor teachers should allow
disregard of their word to pass unnoticed. Should they neglect to cor-
1
The Review and Herald, August 30, 1881
.
2
Testimonies For The Church 3:195
.
3
Fundamentals of Christian Education, 68
.
4
The Review and Herald, June 27, 1899
.
196