An Open Letter to Parents
by Ken Hope
Fathers and mothers, even though the following letter was not addressed
to us personally, let’s be wise enough to read it.
Rest assured, no issue involving “privacy” will be violated by
our “listening in”. This
letter was originally sent to Lieutenant Commander J. P. Carr.
On the birth of their first child, a daughter, Mr. Carr’s father
sent him this sobering correspondence:
“Teach
her as many of the seven thousand words (sic) of the English language as
you have time to, but be sure she knows that the greatest word is GOD;
the longest word is ETERNITY; the swiftest word is TIME; the nearest
word is NOW; the darkest word
is SIN; the meanest word is HYPOCRISY; and the deepest
word is SOULS.”
This statement, with its sentiment, forms the “bare bones” of
what we might call “PARENTING 101.”
How basic. How
beautiful. How Biblical.
Every parent needs to “diligently” teach these truths to their
children (Deut. 6:5-6).
1)
The greatest word is God! Are you
teaching your children all that God has done for them so that they might
love Him with all their heart, soul, and might (Matt. 22:37; 1 Jn.
4:19)?
Teach your children to love Him dearly.
2)
The longest word is Eternity! Are you creating within your child a desire to go to heaven
by speaking about the joys thereof (Jn. 14:1-3; Heb.
11:16)?
In view of eternity, teach your children to prepare earnestly.
3)
The swiftest word is Time! Are you
instructing your children to redeem the time (Eph. 5:16)?
Have you impressed upon them that life is only a vapor that soon
vanishes (James 4:14)?
Time “flies” so teach your children to invest wisely!
4)
The nearest word is Now! Are you
reminding your children that the only time available, not to mention
acceptable, is NOW (2
Cor. 6:2)?
Teach your children regarding spiritual matters to act quickly!
5)
The darkest word is Sin! Are you
impressing upon your child’s heart that sin not only hurts God (Ezek.
6:9),
but also destroys man (Rom.
6:23)? Teach your
child, concerning the very appearance of evil, to abhor sin totally (1
Thess. 5:22).
6)
The meanest word is Hypocrisy! Are you
teaching your offspring to act from pure motives (1 Cor. 13:1-3)?
May we never rightfully be charged with being counterfeit (Jer.
6:30). Regarding
hypocrisy, teach them to avoid it carefully!
7)
The deepest word is Souls! Are you
teaching your offspring the tremendous value of their soul (Mk.
8:36)?
Are they telling others about the salvation of their soul (Prov.
11:30)? With souls in
mind, teach them to be seeking diligently!
The question is not, “Did Mr. Carr heed his father’s advice?”
The real question is, “Will we be wise enough to obey our
heavenly Father’s commandments in the rearing of our precious children?”
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