"Suffer the little children to come unto Me" is the invitation of our Lord, and we as Christian parents vitally interested in the Christian education of our children might well ask, "At what age?" When does a child begin to understand the love of God? When can he grasp the idea of companionship, of Presence? At what age is he ready to have his need of God pointed out to him?  

It is claimed that a child learns more during the first three years of his life than in all of his remaining adolescent years. This being so, at this receptive, curious period, he eagerly hears about God. However, the child's feeling for God can and should begin before this, even before the age of one year, or one month. When a parent is aware that a new life has been conceived, the time of dedication has come. In this early stage of being, the consecrated parent can give the new life to God, and include him in her prayers.  

We know that the emotional state of a woman during pregnancy has a definite bearing upon the well-being of the one yet unborn. Faith is not inherited nor is it transferable, yet a great faith in the heart of a humble woman, praying for her unborn child certainly increases the probability of a sound emotional inheritance and general well-being. 

The child who experiences an awareness of his parents' love from the day of his earthly birth is likely to understand when Mommy and Daddy speak of God's love as that of a Father. When his ideas slowly take the form of words, and questions inevitably follow, his parents have the privilege of revealing God as the Great Creator of all the wonders he is coming to see and appreciate about him, until an awareness of self emerges and he inquires, "Who made me, Mommy?" she can point to this same Creator, loving Father Who "makes" little children. Gradually the presence of another Being in the family circle who is never seen, but is well-known becomes an accepted fact in the life of the small child, and he is quite ready (eagerly so) to hear of Jesus, God's Son. 

Children readily love other children and recognize their kinship. Thus, as Christmas Day draws near, they happily hear of the birth of the Baby Jesus who grew up to be a man. A man who found that His mission here on earth was to draw in men who had strayed away from God and to express His Father's great love for His children. The youngest heart responds to the appeal of Jesus and wants to love and obey Him. This may lead the four-year-old to ask, "What can I give Jesus for His birthday?" to which his parent replies, "Jesus is now in Heaven with His Father so you cannot give Him any present that we can see. You give Him your heart which means your love. That is the greatest present anyone can give to Jesus." And just when you think you have spoken "over the head" of your child, you hear him ask a playmate, "Do you know what I gave Jesus for Christmas? I gave Him my heart. You can too." 

It happens, then, that while we adults are seeking to find some simple way to explain the parabolic teachings of our Lord, that our small children stayed in spiritual truths from infancy, experience little difficulty in grasping the basic concepts of love, fatherhood and sharing because they have lived in and with them from the beginning. 

There is no greater reward for the Christian parent than that of observing the fruition of some fundamental truth which he or she has been laboring to teach. For example: The child has sought the person of Jesus numerous times and has been told that He is in Heaven with the Father. But we as Christian parents cannot leave Him there; and so we perhaps falteringly attempt to clarify by offering the assurance that although we cannot see Jesus, when we love Him, He is always near because God has given Him this special power. We must wonder until a short time later, the child confides, "I woke up in the middle of the night, and it was all dark, but I wasn't alone, was I , Mommy? Because Jesus is always with me." Hurrah! 

How often have you experienced this: Your pre-school child and his playmate have a disagreement, and your child decides, "I don't like him anymore. "When you counter with, "Jesus would not want you to feel that way. You see He loves Johnny too." 

"Do you love him more than me?" "Of course not. I love you best of all the boys in the world because I am your Mother. But Johnny's Mother loves him the best. God loves us all the same because He is the Father of us all. Just as Daddy and I love all of our children the same." And so on his mental level, the child learns concern for others. 

We all become what we think about, what we read, what we see, what we do, that to which we attend, what we say. "But those thing which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart" Matthew15:18. We quite naturally reveal in our conversation the kind of persons we are. It follows that it is folly to disregard what our children read or see or listen to as contributing factors in their character development. There is an old adage, "You are what you eat. "It is equally true spiritually that you are what you believe. When parents accept this maxim, it behooves them to take steps toward planting sound convictions in the hearts and minds of those whom God has entrusted to them to nurture. Your child will be conditioned very early in life as to the type of literature he enjoys, the songs he chooses to sing, the music that thrills him. 

A music professor gave credence to the fact that a child will usually accept whatever music is commonly presented to him. She testified that her two-year-old would choose Bach or Beethoven or Brahms for bedtime music since that is the type of music to which she had been exposed. 

It is commonplace to hear a three-year-old humming "Rock of Ages" when he has been reared in the atmosphere of the great hymns of the church. And since he has already learned to love Jesus, and has become acquainted with the things of creation in his outdoor play, it is easy to explain that Jesus is being compared to a rock because it and He are strong. No less wonderful and thrilling is it to hear his baby voice sing out, "A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam." 

The Sunday School has become a controversial subject in our day. When we consider in terms of hours or even minutes how little time from a week's total is given it in which in which to seek effectiveness, its profound influence to date can only be attributed to God's blessing. Parents cannot leave the spiritual education to the Sunday School alone.  

It would be wonderful for the nursery school teacher if every child coming under his care had been as richly nourished spiritually from the time of birth as he has been physically. More Sunday Schools would then find that children of nursery age are capable of learning easily and surprisingly in the things of God, and need more than blocks and games and crayons as important as these are. 

Jesus asked, "And what man is there among you who if his son ask of him bread, will give him a stone?" Matthew 7:9. Would you rob your tiny child of the food of his heart and soul? Would you allow him to mature without satisfying the spiritual cravings which he must inevitably encounter? Good food, sound sleep, intellectual stimulation, happy playtimes are essential that we readily accept as necessities for our children. In addition to being mental and physical beings, we have a third dimension - the spiritual. This area is vital to his personal growth. It is the crowning glory of his life. Surely he should not be denied an early introduction to his Heavenly Father through Jesus our Lord.