The Christian Mission of the Home
By C. M. S.
Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children,” has in it a thought which is worthy of the attention of every parent. The American Revised Version reads, “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.” Eph. 5:1. Every parent knows how natural it is for a child to do what it sees its parents do, or its teacher do, or its older playfellows. The “beloved children” are those who are heeding parental advice, copying their living pattern, and so meriting continual approval. The parent is to follow, or imitate, his pattern (Christ) as he expects his child to follow, or imitate, the pattern which he sets. The ideal result would be that the child would learn to follow Christ by following the example of his own parent. The more closely the parent followed Christ, the more closely would the child follow Christ in following, or imitating, the parent. What a grand opportunity! What a field for true gospel evangelism in the homes of our people! But the child will imitate the parent and the teacher whether they are following Christ or the adversary. What a weighty responsibility! The example which we set before the child, which is imitated by the child, does not cease with the child, but is passed on and on, carrying with it a blessing or a blight, the sunshine of helpfulness or the mildew of selfishness. If we expect politeness and courtesy in the children, we must set before them the example we wish to see worked out in them. We must be polite and courteous both before them and to them. It is not enough to say, “Johnnie, you must say, ‘Thank you,’ ‘If you please,’ ‘Excuse me,’” etc. We must ourselves practice the courtesies we would exact from him. If the child is accustomed to hearing the expressions of courtesy in the home, they will become his natural language. If he is accustomed to seeing the courteous acts which are the true accompaniment of such expressions, they will almost invariably be seen in his life. If the parents set an example of true, consistent piety, of kindly helpfulness, of forbearance in love, of reverence for God and his house, of genuine Christian living, of true Sabbath keeping, the very atmosphere of the home they create will act as an evangelizing and saving influence in the lives of their children. Such acts and such lives are almost certain to be seen reproduced in the children of that home. When neighbors call, it is a very common thing for some parents to rehearse to the callers the misdoings of a child, in the presence of the child who has done the wrong, and perhaps even tell what punishment has been administered. It is done in the hope of making the child so ashamed of the deed that he will not repeat it. It does not accomplish the result, and it breeds in the heart of the child a spirit of hatred which the parent may never be able to eradicate. Its effect is to repel instead of to win the child; and as the parent loses hold on the child, the child loses hold on God. It is perfectly natural that the child should dislike being held up to ridicule. Parents do not like it themselves, and they come to dislike very heartily those who ridicule them before others. It is a very dangerous place for any parent to put himself in with reference to his child. It may mean the loss of a soul. “Be ye therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.” God does not accuse his children before those outside his family. What you wish your children to be, live that before them. Copy Christ. Learn his ways and imitate them till the graces of Christian kindness are seen in your every act. Then you may rightfully expect to see at least some of them in the lives of your children. One of the most promising fields of missionary activity in the world is in the home. Let us not look lightly upon it; for God holds as very precious the souls of those he has placed under our charge.