Although every human being was born in a family, not everyone understands what it means to be raised in a Christian family. Some are raised in healthy, loving, and Christian-centered families, while others are brought up in broken homes where they experience pain and sadness. At the center of God’s plan of humanity is the concept of family. Jesus was born in a family and regularly referred to the church as his family. Moreover, Paul says that Christians are co-heirs with Christ (KJV Bible, 2008; Romans 8:17). It means that God is the father of Christianity, and therefore he established families to educate children on how to live with him. Therefore, the responsibility to bring up children is bestowed on parents. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God provides guidelines on how to parent effectively and consistently.
Chapter 32- The Child
During the birth of chosen servants of God like Samson and John the Baptists, the angel provided instructions on the habits of the mother and the child. For instance, before the birth of John the Baptist, the message received by his father was, “thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great and in the sight of the lord, and he shall drink no wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit (KJV Bible, 2008; Luke 1:14-15). These directions show that parents are responsible for ensuring that nothing affects the child’s physical, emotional and spiritual development.
According to this chapter, children should be kept free from anything that might influence their growth. The infants’ mothers should ensure that they are breathing fresh and pure air. As the parents prepare their children’s wardrobe, they should put comfort, convenience, and health ahead of fashion and personal pleasure (White, 2011). The child’s dress should always provide comfort, warmth, and protection. Anything that hinders the baby’s freedom of movement or actions of the body parts should be avoided strictly.
The guidelines proposed in this chapter align with the Alberta Health Services article about children’s clothing. According to the article, clothing is an important part of children’s growth and development. Clothing protects children from any weather that might affect their health, like protecting them from cold (Alberta Health Services, 2019). Clothing can also be dangerous to children if care is not taken. For instance, clothes can strangle if a hood gets caught on playground fences or car doors. Children can also choke if they swallow loose buttons on their clothes. Therefore, mothers should ensure their children are safe by dressing them in the right clothes for each activity. They should also watch over their children to ensure that they are safe while engaging in indoor or outdoor activities.
The second guideline provided about parenting is caring for children in sickness. As the chapter suggests, children’s sickness is brought about by errors in management. In many cases, sickness is caused by irregular eating, lack of proper exercise, and appropriate clothing. For instance, a child who dresses lightly during a cold season is more likely to catch a cold than one who dresses in warm clothes (White, 2011). Therefore, as the parents look for the treatment of a certain disease, they should also find out what might have caused it and remedy the conditions. However, parental recklessness is not the only influence on children’s health. Although warm and nurturing parenting is an important family influence, other factors can affect the children’s health (Ettinger, 2004). Some of these factors include hereditary, biological, and environmental factors. Therefore, children’s sickness cannot be blamed wholly on poor parenting.
Chapter 37- The False and the True in Education
In today’s world, education is viewed as the key to success. However, this chapter argues that the knowledge acquired from other literature apart from the bible is the primary source of failure and immorality. In the book of Isaiah 30:21, the bible says, “And whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: this is the way, walk in it.” (KJV Bible, 2008) This verse implies that God is the way, and his teachings should be followed as the guiding principles. The kinds of literature developed by philosophers who do not believe in God’s teachings are, therefore, the source of inequity (White, 2011). According to the chapter, the devil uses these literal words to deceive people leading them into sin. Therefore, humans can only learn from God’s works if they want to prosper and fulfill God’s purpose.
Although reading is important, it can be dangerous for adults and youths. According to Dali (2014), too much reading of fictional articles can be detrimental to one’s attitude. For instance, individuals reading books about a cheating spouse might develop a negative attitude towards marriage and romantic relationships. Books and articles can alter the readers’ perspective, which means that reading literature that criticizes biblical teachings can change children’s perspectives towards God (Dali, 2014). However, other literal works have intellectual benefits. Therefore, learning is important if it promotes literacy development and understanding of the world.
In conclusion, the primary responsibility bestowed on parents by God is raising the children in Godly ways. Parents must do some of the things for their children to ensure that they dress appropriately and eat healthy meals. It is also important for parents to ensure that their children have quality physical exercise to keep them fit and protect them from sicknesses. Besides that, the parents have a role in guiding and controlling whatever their children read to prevent them from learnings that affect their beliefs and attitude towards God. However, parents cannot be blamed entirely for their children’s attitudes because other effects such as peer pressure and environment can affect who they turn out to be.
References
Alberta Health Services. (2019). Clothing safety for children. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Alberta/Pages/clothing-safety-for-children.aspx
Dali, K. (2014). On the Dangers of Reading. If you think that reading is good for you, think again. . https://www.ebsco.com/blogs/novelist/dangers-reading#:~:text=These%20readers’%20perceptions%20may%20be,susceptible%20to%20emulating%20negative%20behaviors
Ettinger, A. S. (2004). Children’s health, the nation’s wealth: Assessing and improving child health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112(14). https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.112-a844
King James Bible. (2008). Oxford University Press. (Original work published 1769)
White, E. G. (2011). The Ministry of Healing. Guildford, UK: White Crow Books
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