The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-16
CHRISTIAN HHOElvOR

Prayer Meeting Topic Fer the Week
Beginning Sept. IL, 1911.
ron,c-1JvtnR Christ in the home-Eph.
vi, La Edited by Rev. Sherman H
Doyle. d. ID.
Christ should be lived by the Chris
tian in every relation Of life. The In
diyidual life should be adorned by the
rraces and virtues that characterized
His own life. and in our various rela-
lions with those who are about us we
should exemplify the teachings and
principles of our religion. But II there
IL one place above another where we
need to have emphasized the impor-
lance Of living Christ it is in the home.
In no social relation In life Is 1t easier
to neglect the Christ life than in the
home. and yet no sphere of life IS more
important not only in itself. but in its
bearing upon all the other relations OF
life. We should therefore earnestly
pray for grace to live Christ In the
home.
The home was a sacred place to
Christ. In the gospels We have fire.
Quent pictures of Christ in the home
and in every instance His presence
meant helpfulness or comfort or spir-
itual blessing. His first miracle was
performed in the home and incidental.
" added to the peace of mind Of His
friends upon festive occasion. To
the home of death He brought great
Joy by raising the dead. and to the
home Of sickness He did likewise by
healing the sick. His prayers In the
home were a spiritual benediction. and
nowhere do we have a better view OF
His loving character than in the in
teresting scenes in the home OF His
friends. especially in the home OF Mary
and Martha and Lazarus at Bethany.
Frequently He was honored In the
home, and we should honor Him in
our homes by making them Bethels
where He delights to dwell.
To live Christ in the home we must
cultivate the Christian graces that
should adorn life in the home. Among
these we may emphasize especially
love and patience and self denial. Love
should be manifested in the home. The
great difficulty is not that love does
not exist among those bound together
by the tenderest natural ties, but that
It IS not manifested. Let some crisis
come to q member Of the 70 mily and
how quickly the presence Of love Is
demonstrated. But in the humdrum
routine OF life how easy It is to neglect
the tokens of affection. But it should
not be so. Loving words and deeds
should have a prominent place in ev-
cry Christian home. Patience is also a
needed home virtue. Where are we
more impatient and yet where are pa
thence and forbearance SO much need
ed?
The Christian spirit Of self denial
should also have prominent place
In the home life. Nor should 1t be
too one sided. There is too much Of a
tendency in all our homes for some
to sacrifice too much and others too
little. Parents and wives should not
do all the sacrificing, nor should one
brother or sister. Yet It is too often
80. The good natured are imposed
upon. There should be NO imposition.
but the true spirit of mutual self de-
NAL for the best interests of all.
To live Christ in the home the Chris
tan duties peculiar to the home life
must DO performed. Children should
obey and homer their parents. The
duty of training the children In the
nurture and admonition of the Lord
and governing them in love and not In
wrath devolves upon the parents and
should be faithfully performed by
them. The servants in the home should
be faithful to their duties as II they
were serving Christ. and the same spir
It should characterize the attitude OF
the various members Of the home to-
ward servants.
Workers in the home should not BIT
drudges. but should be treated with
kindness and consideration. Let Us
cultivate these Christian home virtues
and grnces and faithfully perform the
duties that devolve upon us In the
home, and our homes. more frequently
than they are, will be types OF heaven
our eternal home. Let us learn frs
to show piety at home" and our infiu
ence for Christ will be all the greater
outside the home.