Every act of the parents tells on the future of the children. In devoting time and money to the outward adorning and the gratification of perverted appetite, they are cultivating vanity, selfishness, and lust in the children. Mothers complain of being so burdened with care and labor that they cannot take time patiently to instruct their little ones, and to sympathize with them in their disappointments and trials. Young hearts yearn for sympathy and tenderness, and if they do not obtain it from their parents, they will seek it from sources that may endanger both mind and morals. I have heard mothers refuse their children some innocent pleasure, for lack of time and thought, while their busy fingers and weary eyes were diligently engaged on some useless piece of adorning, something which could only serve to encourage vanity and extravagance in the children. “As the twig is bent, the tree is inclined.” As the children approach manhood and womanhood, these lessons bear fruit in pride and m…
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
The EGW passage explicitly quotes and elaborates on the principle of Proverbs 22:6, emphasizing the impact of parental actions on a child's future development.
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
The EGW passage discusses the importance of parental care and avoiding actions that negatively impact children, aligning with the principle of Ephesians 6:4 to nurture and admonish children rather than provoke them.
"Christian parents, take up your life burden, and think candidly of the sacred obligations that rest upon you. Make the word of God your standard, instead of following the fashions and customs of the world, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. The future happiness of your families and the welfare of society depend largely upon the physical and moral education which your children receive in the first years of their life. If their tastes and habits are as simple in all things as they should be, if the dress is tidy, without extra adornment, mothers will find time to make their children happy, and teach them loving obedience. CE 169.2"
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
The EGW passage directly references 'the lust of the eye, and the pride of life,' which is a clear allusion to 1 John 2:16, and connects it to the importance of simple living and moral education.