Still, there is a fundamental need in everyone s life for consistent, stable, reliable elements. Children need some people and places where they can always feel safe, relaxed, and accepted. More than ever, children need to feel unconditionally loved. Our culture is becoming increasingly competitive where rewards and accolades are based upon performance and accomplishment. Dr. Andrew Lester, one of my professors at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, shared that his counseling experience had led him to the conclusion that children need someone in their lives who adores them.
Every child needs someone in whose eyes that child can do no wrong.
This acceptance is fundamental to the child s ultimate understanding of God s grace. Moreover, children need the opportunity to hear the lessons of spiritual and biblical truth. In earlier generations, the messages proclaimed by the church were reinforced in many other avenues of society. For example, I learned more of the Lord s Prayer at school than I did in church. In addition, even television programs communicated biblical values and high moral standards.