The Solution at Last!

IMAGINE a world in which every child is truly wanted, is truly loved, and is blessed with caring, loving parents who have a sincere desire to provide the best possible guidance and direction for their child. Imagine a world where every child is both physically and mentally sound, where street children are nowhere to be found, and where children are no longer robbed of childhood by the economic need to work!

Desirable? Of course. Believable? Jehovah’s Witnesses think so, and this for two reasons.

Parents Can Provide Part of the Solution

You will no doubt agree that grown-ups do have the power to solve—at times even to prevent—some of the problems of children. Of course, this is provided that they, the adults, are willing to do so. Yes, parents  themselves hold one of the keys to the problem.

For example, grown-ups who are able to follow the Bible counsel that “a wife should not depart from her husband . . . and a husband should not leave his wife” do not have children who suffer because of living in a home broken by separation or divorce.—1 Corinthians 7:10, 11.

Grown-ups who are willing to follow the Bible counsel to “walk decently, not in revelries and drunken bouts,” do not have children who suffer the distress that goes along with having drunken or drug-addicted parents.—Romans 13:13; Ephesians 5:18.

Grown-ups who are willing to follow the Bible counsel to “abstain from fornication” help reduce the risk of their children growing up unwanted, possibly in a one-parent family.—1 Thessalonians 4:3; Matthew 19:9.

Grown-ups who are willing to follow the Bible counsel, “Do not be exasperating your children, so that they do not become downhearted,” and who “love their children” will not have children who experience the physical or mental pain of abuse in any of its various forms.—Colossians 3:21; Titus 2:4.

In summary, if all grown-ups were willing to follow the Bible counsel given by Jesus, “All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them,” would there be millions of unwanted and unloved children?—Matthew 7:12.

Happily, there are many grown-ups who are willing to do all the above. But, sad to say, not all are, and therein lies the problem. And even those who are willing find that their efforts are often frustrated by human imperfection and things beyond their power to control. Humans can provide part of the solution to the problems of children, but they are clearly incapable of providing the complete solution.

A Divine Government to Provide the Complete Solution

The writer John Ruskin, mentioned in the preceding article, strongly believed that “the first duty of a State is to see that every child born therein shall be well housed, clothed, fed, and educated, till it attain years of discretion.” Ruskin admitted, however, that “in order to [effect] this the Government must have an authority over the people of which we now do not so much as dream.”

Only a government with divine backing could have the benign authority about which Ruskin spoke. And just such a government has been promised—the one that Jesus mentioned at Matthew 6:9, 10. Once this government of God’s making has taken total control of earth’s affairs, it will exercise its authority over all peoples—housing, clothing, feeding, and educating all its subjects, including children. (Isaiah 65:17-25) But this perfect government will do even more.

Under God’s Kingdom humans will be enabled to rear children in a balanced way. (Job 33:24-26) Young folks will be raised in the spirit of peace and universal brotherhood, the ideal set forth in the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child. (Psalm 46:8, 9) Never again will there be the need for an International Year of the Child or for a Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Restoring perfect health to parents and to disabled children will be a simple task for Christ Jesus, the King of this heavenly government. The miracles of healing that he performed while he was on the earth are a guarantee. (Luke 6:17-19; John 5:3-9; 9:1-7) Even resurrecting dead children and dead parents will not be beyond his power to accomplish!—Matthew 9:18-25.

What a joy to know that the time for God to act in behalf of earth’s children is near!

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Help for Young People

Jehovah’s Witnesses are keenly interested both in helping young people to avoid problems and in showing them how best to cope with problems that are unavoidable. Over the years they have therefore published a number of aids designed to meet the needs of young people—from preschoolers to teenagers. These publications include the books My Book of Bible Stories and Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work as well as a video entitled Young People Ask—How Can I Make Real Friends? These can be obtained from Jehovah’s Witnesses living in your locality or by writing to the publishers of this magazine.

As for their own children, Jehovah’s Witnesses show them that they are wanted and loved by regularly discussing their problems with them. Parents often use the fine material presented in the above-mentioned study aids as a basis for a progressive, regular program of youth training. Perhaps you might like to follow a similar procedure with your children.