My dear readers,

(Excerpts from Building Firm Foundations, Dr SH Tow)

1. Of tempers and tantrums

Childhood tempers and tantrums usually respond to father’s firm hand. Repeated fits and outbursts require careful investigation into the cause and its removal, but generally speaking the rod (with reasonableness) will cure. What if the cause is parental tempers and tantrums? As they say in China, "Monkey see monkey do." Can one blame a child for copying from parents? Obviously some adult soul-searching is needful.

Adult tempers and tantrums are a serious malady and not easily cured, but no matter how resistant to treatment, relief must be earnestly sought. A Christian home ought not to emit angry sounds from internal commotions. Outbursts between husband and wife or parent and child are hurtful to the spirit, degrading to neighbours and a shame to God’s name.

Dear reader, if your home is afflicted by this disease, pray earnestly to God for deliverance. Then yield yourself to the Spirit. Violent temper and unreasonable clamour are simply giving in to the carnal mind and falling into the devil’s snare. The devil’s chief ambition is to cause us to go back to our old ways, to quench the Spirit of God and to let our old Adam take control again. The devil makes us feel self-righteous, self-important and puffed up. Then we forget our submission to God, and down we fall. Nothing delights the devil more than this. You can frustrate him by saying No! "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" (Pro 16:32). Let the father and mother of the home set the example. Determine that your home will be a haven of peace, a house of quiet retreat, a refuge for every troubled soul. Men are not impressed by our service in church, by our witnessing everywhere, by our eloquent prayers. But when peace and harmony reign supreme and love evidently fills every heart, men will stop and take notice.

Even unbelievers will give glory to our Saviour’s name.

2. Like parents like children

It is no little thing to mock a prophet. For their insulting behavior toward Elisha, forty-two children were killed by wild bears from the forest. If God were to dispense comparable justice to the juvenile offenders of today, one shudders to think what the outcome might be! An appalling assortment of juvenile crimes appears in the daily newspapers. In every major city of the world the age of criminal offenders creeps lower each year. As God’s Word warns: In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves … disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good ...

Juvenile crime reflects the state of our homes. It is in the home that young thugs, hooligans, thieves, gangsters, kidnappers, rapists, sex perverts, swindlers, robbers and murderers are bred. Parents must bear the major accountability for their children’s anti-social performance.

Chief Justice William H.Waste of the California Supreme Court commenting on the rising tide of lawlessness among the youth of today observes that the criminal indifference of parents is largely responsible. He agrees with the then American President that "What the youths of the country need is not more public control through governmental action, but more home control through parental action." He continues:

"Through indifference or because of an ill-considered belief in the dangerous doctrine of the "new freedom," parents have given over the reins of authority, and they now watch with horror the resulting runaway. You cannot give youth the reins and say, Drive! Without inviting a smash. Youth lacks judgment. It is dominated to alarge extent by the physical urge. Without a guiding hand it will run amok and smash itself."

"True religion and good citizenship are inseparable. Supplementing the work of the Church is the Sunday School. I am sorry that the Sunday School and the Church must often do, unaided, what the home should co-operate in doing." (The Wesleyan Methodist).

The sad fact is that Christian homes are failing in their duty. Believing parents, be warned. The problem is more important than your golf and club activities.

Christian parents with time to spare should spend it serving in Church, not in clubs. Lord, help our parents to save their children from the world of crime.

3. Herein is love

The superlative love of God is matchless and incomparable. Its depth can never be fully fathomed. John, theApostle of love, said: "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation of our sins. We love him because he first loved us." (1 Jn 4:10, 19)

We see something of God’s love in the way fathers love their sons and daughters. Children will not really understand parents’ love until they have become parents themselves. King David was under attack by his rebellious son Absalom. He had to flee for his life. In the ensuing battle, Absalom was killed by David’s men. The King was overwhelmed with grief at the news and wept, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

The prodigal son returning from his disastrous venture in that far country received a royal welcome from his heartbroken father, who said , "For this my son was dead, and is alive again: he was lost, and is found." All of the son’s past ingratitude and misdeeds were forgotten and forgiven. Both this father and King David reveal to us, only faintly, the loving heart of God, our Heavenly Father.

Now, my young readers, do you appreciate your parents better? Listen further to this account of another father’s love for his child. "When I return home tired after my day’s work, I am refreshed when I see my baby daughter. I hold her in my arms, look into her blue eyes and every little sound she makes is music to my ears. I whisper to her my tender affection although she understands not a word , and neither can she love me now.

"I lay her down to sleep, and if I were troubled by some sudden illness she will not stir a finger to help. If I should die she would likely forget me in a few days. And while I live she is a constant expense to me. I earn only a little but I will not part with her for all the money in the world. How is it? Does she love me? Not really. Do I then withhold my love until I know she loves me? Do I wait for her to prove her love before I love her?"

Herein is love, not that you loved your father or mother, but that they first loved you, and gave their best for you, when you were little and helpless.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor