Home Education
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Parents should provide employment for their children. Nothing
will be a more sure source of evil than indolence. Physical labor that
brings healthful weariness to the muscles, will give an appetite for
simple, wholesome food, and the youth who is properly employed will
not rise from the table grumbling because he does not see before him
a platter of meat and various dainties to tempt his appetite.
Jesus, the Son of God, in laboring with his hands at the carpenter’s
trade, gave an example to all youth. Let those who scorn to take up the
common duties of life remember that Jesus was subject to his parents,
and contributed his share toward the sustenance of the family. Few
luxuries were seen on the table of Joseph and Mary, for they were
among the poor and lowly.
Parents should be an example to their children in the expenditure
of money. There are those who, as soon as they get money, spend it
for dainties to eat, or for needless adornments of dress, and when the
supply of money becomes reduced, they feel the need of that which
they have wasted. If they have an abundant income, they use every
dollar of it; if small, it is not sufficient for the habits of extravagance
they have acquired, and they borrow to supply the demand. They
gather from any source possible to meet their fancied necessities. They
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become dishonest and untruthful, and the record that stands against
them in the books of heaven is such as they will not care to look
upon in the day of Judgment. The desire of the eye must be gratified,
the craving of the appetite indulged, and they keep themselves poor
by their improvident habits, when they might have learned to live
within their means. Extravagance is one of the sins to which youth are
prone. They despise economical habits, for fear they shall be thought
niggardly and mean. What will Jesus, the Majesty of heaven, who has
given them an example of patient industry and economy, say to such?
It is not necessary to specify here how economy may be practiced
in every particular. Those whose hearts are fully surrendered to God,
and who take his word as their guide, will know how to conduct
themselves in all the duties of life. They will learn of Jesus, who is
meek and lowly of heart; and in cultivating the meekness of Christ
they will close the door against innumerable temptations.
They will not be studying how to gratify appetite and the passion
for display, while so many cannot even keep hunger from the door.
The amount daily spent in needless things, with the thought, “It is only