194
Child Guidance
Joy May Follow the Pain of Discipline—The true way of dealing
with trial is not by seeking to escape it, but by transforming it. This
applies to all discipline, the earlier as well as the later. The neglect
of the child’s earliest training, and the consequent strengthening of
wrong tendencies, makes his after education more difficult and causes
discipline to be too often a painful process. Painful it must be to the
lower nature, crossing, as it does, the natural desires and inclinations;
but the pain may be lost sight of in a higher joy.
Let the child and the youth be taught that every mistake, every
fault, every difficulty, conquered, becomes a steppingstone to better
and higher things. It is through such experiences that all who have
ever made life worth the living have achieved success
[256]
Follow the Divine Guidebook—Parents who would properly rear
their children need wisdom from heaven in order to act judiciously in
all matters pertaining to home discipline
The Bible is a guide in the management of children. Here, if
parents desire, they may find a course marked out for the education and
training of their children, that they may make no blunders.... When this
Guidebook is followed, parents, instead of giving unlimited indulgence
to their children, will use more often the chastening rod; instead of
being blind to their faults, their perverse tempers, and alive only to
their virtues, they will have clear discernment and will look upon
these things in the light of the Bible. They will know that they must
command their children in the right way
God cannot take rebels into His kingdom; therefore He makes
obedience to His commands a special requirement. Parents should
diligently teach their children what saith the Lord. Then God will
show to angels and to men that He will build a safeguard round about
His people
Your Part and God’s Part—Parents, when you have faithfully
done your duty, to the extent of your ability, you may then in faith ask
the Lord to do that for your children which you cannot do
33
Education, 295, 296
.
34
Pacific Health Journal, January, 1890
.
35
Manuscript 57, 1897
.
36
Manuscript 64, 1899
.
37
The Signs of the Times, February 9, 1882
.