What Your Children Breathe In
I am deeply grateful for parents who took me to church “every time the doors were open.” That decision—or rather, that series of hundreds and hundreds of decisions—poured eternal lessons into my heart, soul, and mind. Granted, it was easier for our family to be in church than most families since we only had to walk across the street. You can see our church in the background of this picture as my brother Steve and I stand in our snowy front yard one winter day.
Still, even with our easy walk, Mother and Daddy had to get us ready, get themselves ready, feed us on time, turn off the TV, and all that. Also though, like everyone else who makes the commitment to stick with church, they had to hunger for feeding from God’s Word, respect the preacher and elders, serve with sweet attitudes when asked to help out, forgive anyone who might have said something offensive five years before, and do all the other give and take things that keep Christians in community with one another. Because they did that, Steve and I enjoyed the blessing of what people call “growing up in church.”
I got to see my precious brother on Sunday. What a joy he is to me and to Ray, too.
So much of a child’s learning happens almost like breathing. They simply walk through life and lessons go inside them seemingly effortlessly. I often think about what I have taken in from the hymns that I breathed in as a child. I know at least one verse and often every single word of countless hymns. I never tried to memorize them. They just came in. Read the words to this hymn our church sang this past Sunday and think about the blessing of a child hearing those words over and over again, as Steve and I did.
Yield Not to Temptation
H. R. Palmer, 1868
Yield not to temptation,
For yielding is sin;
Each vict’ry will help you,
Some other to win;
Fight valiantly onward,
Evil passions subdue;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through.
Refrain
Ask the Savior to help you,
Comfort, strengthen and keep you;
He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.
Shun evil companions,
Bad language disdain;
God’s name hold in rev’rence,
Nor take it in vain;
Be thoughtful and earnest,
Kindhearted and true;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through. [Refrain]
To him that o’ercometh,
God giveth a crown;
Through faith we will conquer,
Though often cast down;
He who is our Savior,
Our strength will renew;
Look ever to Jesus,
He will carry you through. [Refrain]
As I said, children simply walk through life and lessons go inside them seemingly effortlessly. Yes, seemingly, but the wise parent makes wise decisions about the environment their children are walking through. They are going to breathe lessons into their hearts, souls, and minds. They are depending on us to make sure what they are breathing in is good, pure, and healthy for those hearts, souls, and minds.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence
and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8