Yes, you! Why?

Let me tell you:

You profess to love your country, yet you see national decay. Why? Have you considered that we are not teaching our children as we should? The forefathers in America regarded education and religion as the two cornerstones of sound preparation for living. They taught the Bible in public schools because they conceived the principles of righteousness needed to be inculcated in boys and girls.

Who is teaching righteousness today? The home? The church? Besides these two, can you think of any institution other than ‘church schools’ doing it?

Do you remember Topsy from Uncle Tom’s Cabin? Topsy seems completely perverse and corrupted. She steals, she lies, disobeys, and lazes about. No punishment has any effect on her. Why? She had been raised without any moral or intellectual instruction.

Any child will grow and develop whether that one is taught or not taught, but growth and development will be without goal, direction, purpose except as some sort of outer control is exercised. Otherwise, one will be like Topsy who “jest grow’d”.

Phillips Brook rightly said, “The race moves upward or downward on the feet of children.” And again, “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work” — John Trainer, M.D.

The key to better families, churches, and nations lies in teaching God’s word. The early church turned the world upside down by following the instruction of Jesus to go and teach. The prophets said, “They will be taught by God”. Then Jesus added, “Every one who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to Me” (John 6:45). And look how the world was blessed!

Through the years I have noticed how little children love their teachers. I have heard them whisper, and sometimes almost boldly shout to their mothers, “That’s my teacher!” And I have seen these little ones search, and run, to their teachers to give and receive a hug. It’s a precious site to behold. What an impact these teachers make on young minds and hearts. When you consider that “the influence of a good teacher can never be erased,” don’t you want to be one? I thought so! – John Gipson, Windsong church of Christ, Little Rock, AR