Topic: Happy Companionship Together [Ellen G. White  Devotional july 14 2019]

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Family Companionship

We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. Psalm 55:14

Throw around your children the charms of home and of your society. If you do this, they will not have so much desire for the society of young associates…. Because of the evils now in the world and the restrictions necessary to be placed upon the children, parents should have double care to bind them to their hearts and let them see that they wish to make them happy.

Let parents devote the evenings to their families. Lay off care and perplexity with the labors of the day…. Let the evenings be spent as happily as possible.

Form a home reading circle, in which every member of the family shall lay aside the busy cares of the day and unite in study. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, take up this work heartily, and see if the home church will not be greatly improved…. Read the literature that will give you true knowledge and that will be a help to the entire family.

If they would gather the children close to them, and show that they love them, and would manifest an interest in all their efforts, and even in their sports, sometimes even being a child among children, they would make the children very happy and would gain their love and win their confidence.

Brought up under the wise and loving guidance of a true home, children will have no desire to wander away in search of pleasure and companionship. Evil will not attract them. The spirit that prevails in the home will mold their characters; they will form habits and principles that will be a strong defense against temptation when they shall leave the home shelter and take their place in the world.

The young heart is quick to respond to the touch of sympathy.