The most serious neglect of parents is the general disregard of the souls of their children. Children are born with a sinful nature that leaves them guilty and punishable by God, yet since the time of Adam, they have received their pollution from their parents. For this reason, God requires parents to teach and to train their children. How heartless then are those parents who have not so much compassion as to bring them up in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord."

Children are born in ignorance, and if they are not to remain forever alienated from God, they must be taught the way to Christ. Therefore God commands, "Train them up."

Give them the first "dip"; that is, "initiate" them in the way they should go at the outset of their education. There is a way they Would go, but parents are to instruct them in the way they Should go. (Proverbs 22:6) "Train them up", and do it "when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up" (Deuteronomy 6:6.7) because

The twig is bent, the tree inclined --

And so their heart, and soul, and mind.

Christian parents promise God to rear their children in the fear of the Lord, but they easily promise and easily break it, and through their indulgence educate their children for the world and the flesh. This betrayal of the souls of their children will lie heavy upon them in time and eternity. Children are born unto God; parents are but stewards, and a day of reckoning is promised.

Parents are inclined to love their children much, but only God can teach them to love them wisely. Affection without discipline will result in love without respect and will evidence itself in back talk and disobedience. However, discipline without affection will result in fear without love, and will end in rebellion.

Children must be disciplined, however, or they will die in their sins. Therefore, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from Hell." (Proverbs 25:13,14) Again, "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." (Proverbs 29:15)

The simple neglect of children will bring the parent to shame, and, barring intervention by God, seals their damnation.

If left to their own spirit, they will be miserable in Time and Eternity. "Withhold it not" despite pleas and pity. Correct them lovingly, but firmly. Take time to instruct them in the way they should go. Then seal discipline with prayer.

"Correct thy son" is a command. To try more appealing ways is to set up your will in opposition to the will of God. Eli was cursed because he honored his sons above God and did not restrain them from their evil way. (I Samuel 2:29,30; 3:11-14)

"Let us bring our children as near to Heaven as we can," wrote Thomas Hooker. If you any compassion for your children, show them how they are to conduct themselves. Lead them because principle without example is hypocrisy. Labor that by the grace of God they may have an early knowledge of the Saviour. Then pray incessantly for them because your work will not be done until you or they are in the grave.

"ONE THING IS NEEDFUL" --A STUDY IN PRIORITIES

Text: "Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard His word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to Him, and said, ’Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.’

"And Jesus answered and said unto her, ’Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.’"

There are some things in life more important than other things. Some things are worth hazarding life and limb over; other things are not. Spiritual things are more important than physical things, as eternal things are more important than temporal things that perish.

Martha received the Lord Jesus into her house. Apparently she was the older sister, and of her the Scripture remarks that she was "cumbered about with much serving." Jesus describes her as "careful," that is, she was "full of care," or overly meticulous. Our Lord says of her that she was "troubled," or worried and anxious that everything went well.

Mary, however, "sat at Jesus’ feet;" that is, she seated herself there, and eagerly heard His word. It was her deliberate choice, and she "kept on hearing" His word. She hung upon the gracious things that proceeded from His lips. Therefore, Martha came to the Lord to voice her complaint. "Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me." Perhaps the bed needed to be made, or the broom needed to be put away.

The Lord seeks to dispel her frustration that had just exploded into anger: "Martha, Martha." His voice spoke in tenderness as he reminded her "’one thing is needful’--one thing only, and you are lacking that good thing." She was distracted by trivia, by diversions of significant insignificance. The business of this world filled her with the humdrum of busy work. She was too busy to hear the gracious words that came from the mouth of her Creator.

There is "one thing needful." It is the principal thing, the more critical thing. It refers to that which is spiritual and therefore eternal. The truth of God is the "summum bonum", the "greatest good," and because this truth is revealed by the Lord out of the Scriptures, that son is truly happy who hears the Word and keeps it. (Luke 11:28) The "cares of this world" deprived Martha of the Word of God. Her priorities were out of focus. She surrendered this golden opportunity. Philip Doddridge entered into his Diary, "Having had more than ordinary work some past days, and being extremely low, my devotions were this day mingled, and sadly interrupted; ...so that, in reflecting upon it, I was tempted to think that my time would have been more profitably employed in the usual business of the family and the academy, than in this retirement." Have we not all been tempted thus!

Martha received the Lord into her house, but Mary received Him into her heart. The Lord said to Martha, "You have done well, but Mary better," because she "hath chosen that good part that shall not be taken away from her." Martha’s service died with her, for history never records whether a person’s home is spotless, or "lived in;" but Mary’s service is commended to all generations through the Book of God.

Reader, what things in life are really important to you?

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My sister Mrs. M. K. J. passed away recently, and instead of sending flowers, I asked them to just send you a check in her memory which will in a small way help you to carry on God’s work there in Augusta.

Now she loved you people and would have been so glad to have helped you....

I wish for you and your little group a very happy holiday season and a very active, prosperous New Year.

Sincerely,