EVERY Christian child should seek to form good habits—habits which will help them in life. Now shall we link a word with each letter of the word Habit which may remind us of some useful habits to form?
Let H stand for
Helpfulness,
then. Let us seek to be of use to others.
Let A stand for
Application.
It is a great thing to give ourselves to whatever we are engaged in, whether it be work or play. If we apply ourselves we shall succeed.
Let B stand for
Brightness.
Look on the bright side of things. As the hymn says, “Count your many blessings,” and as the psalm. says, “Forget not all His benefits.”
Only this morning I was reading a strange piece of poetry about two poor old women, one named Sarah Ann and the other Mary Jane. Sarah. Ann always grumbled, for she looked on the dark side. Mary Jane always rejoiced, for she looked on the bright side. Sarah Ann was miserable. Mary Jane was happy. It is a good poem to read.
Let I stand for
Industry.
Do not waste your time. Fill it with what is profitable and good and useful. “Killing time” is no employment for a Christian. We should seek to gather up the fragments of time, that nothing be lost, and give yourselves to useful employment.
Let T stand for
Truthfulness.
“In fun and in earnest be true,” is a good reminder for us all. Be exact. Do not exaggerate, never deceive by word or deed. It is said of George Washington that truthfulness so marked him that “he could not tell a lie.” Let your life he such that this may be able to be said of YOU.
There are many other good habits, but these are all of which 1 must speak now, and they cover a good deal of ground.
Children, form good habits, and shun bad ones as you would venomous serpents, for they bite.
Messages of God’s Love 11/29/1908