All, that is, except a small girl’s tearful comment as I tucked her into bed: “Mother, you make it so hard to be good!”

It has been said that a Christian is one who makes it easy to believe in Jesus. Perhaps it could also be said, “A good parent is one who makes it easy for a child to be good.”

Parents, never let a single day go by without saying an encouraging word to each child, particularly when you have noticed even the slightest improvement on some weak point, some point at which you have been picking and criticizing.

And never fail to pass on to a child any nice thing you have heard said about him or her.

In David’s prayer for Solomon, he said, “… prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised” (Psalm 72:15, KJV).

“More people fail for lack of encouragement,” someone wrote, “than for any other reason.”