The Minister and the Home

A MINISTER'S HOME in­fluences more people than his pulpit. "Far more power­ful than any sermon that can be preached is the influence of a true home upon human hearts and lives."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 352. That is why Satan tempts the father to neglect his home. He tries to keep the parent so busy with all kinds of activities that he has no time for his own family. This is one of the reasons why some good ministers bring in very little, while less talented speakers sometimes have a rich harvest of souls. A good family is of inestimable value to the minister.

One day a very fine young man from the college came to my office and stated that he needed some professional counsel. When he introduced himself I recognized a well-known name among us and inquired whether he was related to Elder---------

"Yes," he replied, "he is my father."

"Oh," I answered, "he is a wonderful man. He is a real pillar in the church."

"He must be a wonderful man," he mused sadly. "I read about him in the Review."

That interview of more than an hour re­vealed that the heart of this young man was yearning for a father far more than for any professional advice. He might as well have been an orphan so far as his father was concerned. At that time his father was visit­ing some of the churches in Europe and would not be home for several weeks. And when he was at home he was not at home. He was at the office on weekdays and in the pulpit on Sabbaths. He son knew him best through the columns of the Review and Herald!

Could it be that some ministers, who have won many souls to Christ, will be forced to lament, "They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept"?  Noah had very little success in convert­ing the world during his 120-year cam­paign, but he did save his family, and God called him "a preacher of righteousness." "The minister's duties lie around him, nigh and afar off; but his first duty is to his children."—Gospel Workers, p. 204.

Consecrated workers are ready to spring right into action when the significance of these words is fully realized, "We are sus­taining terrible losses in every branch of the work through the neglect of home training."—Child Guidance, p. 303.

Every minister wants to succeed. The consecrated man of God considers no efEort too great or cost to himself too dear to save a soul from eternal death. Personal desires are forgotten, physical discomforts sink into insignificance, as he seeks the lost. His one great passion is to rescue the perishing.

No matter how successful he has been, the progressive preacher is never satisfied with past attainments. He wants to im­prove. He is constantly reading and study­ing for better methods; he is eagerly search­ing for new opportunities of reaching more and more people. Yet how often his best efforts seem to accomplish little or nothing. He may sow a large field and spend a great deal of time and money cul­tivating it, yet reap a very small harvest. What more could he have done? He re­views the past, searches his own soul, and asks God for wisdom.

God answers his prayer by turning His spotlight on one of the hidden causes for such meager success. Here it is: "Ministers may do their work faithfully and well, yet it will amount to very little if parents neg­lect their work."—Ibid., p. 550. It is even possible that a minister who is diligent in his labors, tireless in his efforts, may be the one guilty of neglecting his parental responsibilities. What can he do? Will he give up in despair?

No discouraging thought ever comes from Heaven. God does not show us the cause and then leave us to grope our way out. He directs our attention to the remedy. He says, "If more attention were given to teaching parents how to form the habits and character of their children, a hundred­fold more good would result."—The Min­istry of Healing, p. 352. (Italics supplied.) Thank God for that assurance. Here is a promissory note on the bank of Heaven, that if we train the parents for their work, one hundred times as much good will be done as we are now accomplishing. Think of it, a 10,000 per cent increase—what a staggering figure! Only God could promise that.

The question each worker must decide for himself is what he will do with this of­fer. God had promised all the land of Ca­naan to the children of Israel, but ten of the spies could not see over the giants that stalked through the countryside. Those ten leaders never realized any part of that promise. But the two spies who looked be­yond the giants and did the work that God had outlined for them to do saw the literal fulfillment of His word. They received vine­yards already planted, wells already dug, and houses ready for occupancy.

Satan can always find some giant to stand between us and unlimited success. One that frightens off some ministers from teaching parents is the idea that fathers and moth-

  ers resent help. This is a fallacy. With very few exceptions parents everywhere are cry­ing out for help, they are eager for informa­tion, they seek counsel. What they do re­sent, and rightly so, is blame, censure, and publicity of their mistakes.

After all, blaming the father or the mother or the neighbors doesn't solve the problem. The work of the counselor is not to fix the blame on anyone, or to mete out punishment to the culprit, but to help the parents to find a solution to their problems. Criticizing is not teaching. It confuses, dis­courages, and adds to the complexity of the situation, but does not instruct. To tell the parent that he did something wrong is nothing new to him. No doubt he was aware of that before you were. Neither does gossiping about the sins and mistakes of others help the sinner or the saint. Disease is not cured by passing it on to someone else. The preacher is not to blame the par­ents, but to teach them.

When parents realize that their pastor will keep everything told to him in strict confidence and that he is willing and anx­ious to help them find a solution to their problems, they will flock to him for advice; they will seek his counsel.

The most persistent giant of all who goads the preacher night and day is time. Whether he is an evangelist, pastor, or departmental secretary, there are so many demands on his time that it is impossible to meet them all. How can the conscien­tious worker tell which demands are his ob­ligations and which are devices of Satan to keep him from his legitimate duties?

The Spirit of Prophecy tells us plainly: "Your first ministerial field is to guard and train your children, taking care of the little garden God has given you, and when you educate and train these children then you have done a work that God will bless." —Ellen G. White, manuscript 13, 1886. Your home is the foundation of your work. Neglecting this foundation can be disas­trous to the work of God later on. "The Sabbath and the family were alike insti­tuted in Eden, and in God's purpose they are indissolubly linked together."—Educa­tion, p. 250. God's representative will no more neglect his home than he will dese­crate the Sabbath. He will be as faithful in instructing his congregation in regard to Christian home living as in teaching proper Sabbath observance.

The third giant presented by Satan boldly declares that no one in the church is qualified to teach the parents. This may or may not be true. If it is true, an immedi­ate change is in order. It is a disgrace for anyone to remain in ignorance. "To as­sume the responsibilities of parenthood without such preparation is a sin."—The Ministry of Healing, p. 380.

The question in the heart of each pastor will be, Where can I find the best man or woman to teach the parents in my church? Naturally, the answers will vary from church to church. In one place a retired worker may be the ideal man for this very important task, in another, a busy young mother may be the best one that can be found anywhere. But in the majority of cases the pastor will find that he himself is the one to give this instruction. "Those who bear the last message of mercy to the world should feel it their duty to instruct parents in regard to home religion."—Tes­timonies, vol. 6, p. 119.

The Home and Parent section of the General Conference Department of Educa­tion stands ready to assist pastors and par­ents in any way it can. The two Spirit of Prophecy books The Adventist Home and Child Guidance, and the Adventist Home and School magazine, are dedicated to strengthening every home in the church. A series of twelve lessons also have been prepared for parents on child training, called "The Christian Home Series C." Every home where there are children should have the complete set.

To increase your efficiency 10,000 per cent teach the parents their responsibilities. "In the home the foundation is laid for the prosperity of the church. The influences that rule in the home life are carried into the church life; therefore church duties should first begin in the home."—The Ad­ventist Home, p. 318.