Testimonies for the Church Volume 1 - A New You Ministry

commit a great error, and sin against their poor children and against God.Children who are under strict discipline will at times have dissatisfied feelings.They will become impatient under restraint, and will wish to have their own way, andgo and come as they please. Especially from the age of ten to eighteen, they will oftenfeel that there would be no harm in going to picnics and other gatherings of youngassociates; yet their experienced parents can see danger. They are acquainted with thepeculiar temperaments of their children and know the influence of these things upontheir minds, and from a desire for their salvation keep them back from these excitingamusements. When these children decide for themselves to leave the pleasures ofthe world and become Christ’s disciples, what a burden is lifted from the hearts ofcareful, faithful parents! Yet even then the labor of the parents must not cease. Thechildren should not be left to take their own course and always choose for themselves.They have but just commenced in earnest the warfare against sin, pride, passion, envy,jealousy, hatred, and all the evils of the natural heart. And parents need to watch andcounsel their children, and decide for them, and show them that if they do not yieldcheerful, willing obedience to their parents, they cannot yield willing obedience toGod, and it is impossible for them to be Christians.Parents should encourage their children to confide in them, and unburden to themtheir heart griefs, their little daily annoyances and trials. Thus the parents can learn tosympathize with their children, and can pray with and for them that God would shieldand guide them. They should point them to their never-failing Friend and Counselor,who will be touched with the feeling of their infirmities, who was tempted in all pointslike as we are, yet without sin.Satan tempts children to be reserved with their parents and to choose as theirconfidants their young and inexperienced391