Be Patient

For the sake of your child, your own happiness, and the happiness of your home, be patient! In dealing with your little “olive plants,”* (Psalm 128:3) “let patience have her perfect work,” and of a truth you shall “be perfect and entire wanting nothing.”* (James 1:4) Much redeeming grace is needed to enable a parent to be calm and kind under the many trying circumstances connected with the pruning and training of the “fruit of the womb.”* (Psalm 127:3) It is a source of great joy, however, to know that God’s grace is sufficient for me.

Dear parents, the only remedy we have to offer you for this qualification is the sweet controlling influence of saving grace. When you have gained control of your own spirit you are far on the way to conquer the rebellious spirit of your child. How sad it is that a mother who loves her child will find sometimes a feeling of hatred in her heart against it. We have heard mothers in a time of provocation use such words as, “You foolish thing”; “You naughty little imp”; “You mean thing, I have a mind to put you out where the dogs will get you”; “You do that again and I’ll give you to the bad man”; “I’ll slap your head off”; “I wish you were dead,” and such like. How awful! There are mothers who, if their little one were sick, would gladly sit night after night and watch by their bedside—yet when the dear one is restored to health and provokes the mother, she uses expressions like those mentioned.

As you stand some night by the casket that contains a lifeless little body, oh, what anguish at heart as you remember the hasty words you have spoken to that dear one. How those ugly expressions ring in your ears. They will follow you for days in thought and dream.

How sad that the human heart is of such disposition—but what joy to know that the precious blood of Jesus will remove all such dispositions and fill the heart with love and sweetness that will enable you to deal with your child in loving patience, even in the hour of deepest trial. Then, should you be called to its death bedside you can look into the pale face and then up to God without a sting of conscience.

Parents, be firm, but be patient with your child. Let love shine out of every reproval and you will find it is not so difficult to train and govern him as you supposed.