Mind, Character, and Personality Vol. 2 - Second Advent Revival

599
company they keep, the associations they form, and the principles they adopt will be
carried with them through life.--4T 426 (1880). {2MCP 598.4}
Bad Habits More Easily Formed Than Good Ones.-- Children are peculiarly
susceptible to impressions; and the lessons which they receive in the early years they
will carry with them through life. All the learning they may acquire will never undo the
evil resulting from lax discipline in childhood. One neglect, often repeated, forms habit.
One wrong act prepares the way for another. That act, repeated, forms habit. {2MCP
599.1}
Bad habits are more easily formed than good ones, and are given up with more
difficulty. It takes far less time and pains to spoil the disposition of a child than it does to
imprint principles and habits of righteousness upon the tablets of the soul. It is only by
constantly watching and counterworking the wrong that we can hope to make the
disposition right. {2MCP 599.2}
The Lord will be with you, mothers, as you try to form right habits in your children.
But you must begin the training process early, or your future work will be very difficult.
Teach them line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Bear in
mind that your children belong to God and are to become His sons and daughters. He
designs that the families on earth shall be samples of the family in heaven.--RH, Dec 5,
1899. {2MCP 599.3}
Habits Seldom Changed.--Repeated acts in a given course become habits. These
may be modified by severe training, in afterlife, but are seldom changed. Once formed,
habits become more and more firmly impressed upon the character.--GH, Jan, 1880.
(CG 199, 200.) {2MCP 599.4}
Attacking Wrong Habits Does Little Good.--It is of little use to try to reform others
by attacking what we may regard as wrong habits. Such effort often results in more
harm than good.
600 {2MCP 599.5}
In His talk with the Samaritan woman, instead of disparaging Jacob's well, Christ
presented something better. "If thou knewest the gift of God," He said, "and who it is
that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would
have given thee living water" (John 4:10). He turned the conversation to the treasure He
had to bestow, offering the woman something better than she possessed, even living
water, the joy and hope of the gospel.--MH 156, 157 (1905). {2MCP 600.1}
Effort to Reform Comes From Desire to Do Right.-- It is true that men sometimes
become ashamed of their sinful ways and give up some of their evil habits before they
are conscious that they are being drawn to Christ. But whenever they make an effort to
reform, from a sincere desire to do right, it is the power of Christ that is drawing them.
An influence of which they are unconscious works upon the soul, and the conscience is