Keeping Up Appearances

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How many families are spoiled by the envious feelings they cherish toward their neighbours! Vanity and pride possess them. They greatly desire to excel their neighbours in appearance, in dress, in furniture. These ambitious desires lead to grave results: the atmosphere of the home is contaminated by them.

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A desire to excel in virtue of character, a desire to follow in the footsteps of the Saviour, copying closely the pattern left by Him, is praiseworthy. Strenuous effort to excel in devotion, in the cultivation of home religion and piety, that the fear of the Lord may circulate through every room in the home, is a worthy ambition, wholly approved by God. This is true missionary work, and it extends beyond the home; for light shines from you to those who see your good works.

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It is perfectly consistent, and in accordance with the word of God, to hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ; but a restless, unholy ambition to outshine others in dress and furniture, horses and carriages, has ruined many a once cheerful, happy home. The children of such a family catch the spirit of their parents, and seek to imitate the rich and fashionable.

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Many parents act as if it were a great privilege to be able to introduce their children into so-called «good society.» To do this, their resources are taxed to the utmost. Money and time are laid on the altar of Mammon until the expenditure far exceed-the income. Still further to keep up appearances, money is borrowed. Daily such parents practise deceit, that they may lead people to think them worthy to be members of what is falsely called «good society.» The children of the family understand the programme; they understand that they must seek to be what they are not,-they must act a deceptive part, in order to be counted worthy of good society.

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Everything wherewith such a family could bless the poor and needy, and make themselves comfortable and happy, is laid on the altar of unholy ambition. They ape the rich, who very often have become rich through deceit and robbery, by grinding down the poor, and keeping back the wages of the needy. But often they only secure for their children the company of the vain, frivolous, and unprincipled. In this Satan acts his part, and the children become anything but good, elevated, and ennobled. In the effort to keep up appearances, every purpose is tainted. The members of such a family may be professing Christians, but their piety is gone. That they may be thought by the world to be what they are not, they sacrifice peace of mind on the shrine of ambition. Truth and righteousness are sacrificed to keep up appearances. This road, which they may think leads upward, leads downward to perdition.

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Parents, remember that you cannot serve God and Mammon. This experiment has often been tried, but always with the same result. If God does not reign supreme in the heart, Mammon will sit on the throne, and the powers of the being will be brought into subjection to the will of Satan. Mammon will hold the heart, because the god of mammon subjects all half-and-half service to himself. All efforts for the conversion and Christian training of the children of such parents are rendered weak and powerless. But if Christ dwells in the heart, all inferior interests, all the aspirations and passions, will be subordinated to the will of God.

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Truth, benevolence, kindness, and love are the graces that dwell in the Christian home. But Satan is constantly inventing interests and excitements to occupy the time and consume the money that should be used for better purposes,-to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and advance the cause of God. Parents, purify the atmosphere of your homes. Let not the home life be of such a character that all influences for good in the training of your children, are counteracted because you are a slave to the world. Can you not see, on every side, the corrupting influences that are being used to pollute the young? Bring into your home the simplicity of correct Christian practices. Give your children instruction in purity and true modesty, that they may not be hurt by the contagion of immorality and irreligion. Make home radiant with the precious rays of the Sun of Righteousness. If pure religion is seen in your lives, it will captivate the hearts of your children. Mrs. E. G. White. —