The morning paper has another account of a child who was critically injured by her own family’s carelessness. This time, an 11 year old girl drank from a bottle that she thought was Sprite and came inside choking. It turned out that the bottle contained hydrochloric acid, an ingredient for crystal methamphetamine and she was severely burned. The authorities found three meth labs in a small trailer near where the girl was playing. One wonders if the family member(s) responsible would have forced the young girl to drink such a substance? Probably not. But their failure to obey the law cause the young innocent to be harmed. This story made headlines because it was an unusual circumstance, but there are millions of similar stories each day that are not reported.
Children of alcoholics are more likely to become alcoholics themselves. Often they start drinking when it is given them by their parents, or when the “forbidden fruit” is taken from the family refrigerator or liquor cabinet. No, these children are not likely to be taken to the emergency room. Seldom do such things get reported in the newspaper.
An even more subtle danger is when children follow in their parents footsteps away from God. The materialistic parent may wonder what happened when their child grows up and fails to ever visit them or show any type of love. You see, there is only a very short space between breaking the greatest commandment to honor God (Matt. 22:37-38), and the one that tells children to respect their parents (Ep. 6:1-2). Lawless parents breed lawless children. That is true regarding God’s law as well as civil laws.
Last week I had a public conversation with a lady who was telling me about her financial and health problems. She remarked that she was working two jobs to try to make ends meet. Her doctor had told her that she badly needed surgery but she couldn’t take off from work because she couldn’t provide for her son who was in college. I suggested that he might have to take a semester off and reminded her of an example that I had heard some time ago. When the stewardess gives emergency instruction to airplane passengers, she tells them how to use the oxygen mask. Her instructions tell parents accompanied by small children, “Put yours on first, then the child.” A helpless child needs his parent to help him to safety.
Parents must be diligent to make sure that first, they do what is right. Then instruct the child in the principles of truth. Unfaithful, non church going parents seldom bring up children to know God. In careless incidents where children are harmed, parents are often heard to say, “I never meant for my child to end up like this.” But the question is, did you take the necessary precautions to prevent it?
Any judge will tell you that regular Sunday school attendance will go a long way in crime prevention. Don’t send your child to church, bring them.
David Courington
