By Phillip Hines

Cliff Lyons, an evangelist in the western United States, told of this experience he had on one occasion:

“I was visiting in the home of a family that had not attended services in some time. The little 5-year-old girl entered the room and interrupted the conversation by asking me to do her a favor.  

“She went on to say, ‘My Sunday School teacher was helping us to make a lamb out of paper and cotton. We haven’t been to Sunday school in a long time, and I am afraid she might throw mine away. Will you ask her not to throw it away? Mommy said we will go again pretty soon.’  

“As the mother hurried the little girl from the room, I promised I would tell the teacher. There was a lump in my throat.”

As I read of that experience, I thought how unfortunate it is that we so often do not realize how eager small children are to be close to God and to godly people. Today we hear a great deal about physical child abuse; friends, it is spiritual child abuse when we wait too long to help our children spiritually!

Ephesians 6:1-4 – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”