Our Readers' Opinions
February 9, 2016
If you really love your children, train them!

Editor: Parents, guardians, imagine receiving a beautiful, precious gift from a dear friend. How would you treat that gift? Once you are thankful and love the gift, you show appreciation by caring for it as best as you can. Well, God has provided you with gifts that are far more precious, more valuable than any material gift. Those gifts are your children. God, the Creator, knows best how you should treat your gifts, your children.{{more}} In most homes parents tend to provide the material needs of the children but hardly provide for their spiritual needs. In addition to feeding, clothing, and sheltering your children, why not follow the advice of Proverbs 22:6 to “train your child in the way he/she should go?” Such training includes teaching them God’s commands to avoid stealing, lying, indecent language etc (Ephesians 4: 28, 29; Colossians 3:9). How sick to hear infants using indecent language and some parents taking pride in such! Why not discourage them from using such dirty speech that makes them appear foolish rather than wise! Encourage clean speech. Teach children good manners too. Some children grow up not knowing to say “excuse me please,” “thank you,” “good morning” and so forth. What a pity! How embarrassing this can be to you parents and the children too. Make school teachers’ jobs easier by training your children properly at home. Try to set a good example for your children as well (Romans 2:21), Commendations are in order for parents who set a fine example and who train their children well. To those who don’t or who do little training, please step up and treat the gifts that God gave you in the way He wants you to; show God that you really appreciate his gifts. Train your children and really prove that you love them.

Simeon James