The more I attentively watch my children, the more I realize how much of what they see impacts them. They are watching and soaking up information all day and the more repetitive the exposure, the more ingrained the behavior becomes. My 1 year old knows that when I sit her in her high chair, she is about to eat. So she waits with praying hands because she knows that we always bless our food first. This same one year old, will also stop whatever she is doing, to do the whip/nay nay dance every time she hears the song on a TV commercial (my older girls taught her that). My 2 and 4 year old children won’t go to sleep until I pray over them. They also will get frustrated if they wake up and look in the bottom left fridge drawer and there is no yogurt, fruit cups, or applesauce. They know that this is what they are allowed to get themselves in the morning by themselves. My older girls expect me to be up when they leave for school to help with their hair or give them my opinion on their appearance. They also expect me to ask about their day when they come home and help them with any homework that they cannot fully understand. All of them have learned at an early age that if they use the name of God that it will please me, so at one time or another they have tried to use it to manipulate my response. I have had to teach them that manipulation is like witchcraft and although God is in and aware of all things it is wrong to use the word of God to manipulate people. They can recite lyrics to songs, quote commercials, act out entire movie scenes and learn a dance move after watching it just once. How much more do you think they are learning what they see me do? It’s okay that they can recite lyrics, but am I exposing them to songs that honor God? Knowing the lines from repetitive commercials is okay, but am I repeating the word of God to them repeatedly so that it will also be in their memory bank? Acting out movies is cool but have they watched me respond to God in praise/worship/brokenness/surrender. They know when I’m in line at the grocery store and there is someone behind me with fewer items that I will let them go ahead of me. They know that if we are out and somebody starts telling me their troubles, I will stop and pray for them right where we are at. They know I don’t litter or participate in something that will help me gain something dishonestly. They also know how to push all of my buttons….. I have many of those as well. I am far from perfect and need to often repent and apologize for my response to certain things! The point is that they know how to get to me because they are studying me. They have learned my behaviors and know what I expect and also what they can get away with and what I won’t tolerate. Our goals as parents should be to be a reflection of Christ. We should only want to do what we see our Father God doing…….. This is an ongoing goal that we will be forever reaching for, but we should be always evaluating our behavior and constantly growing. We can’t expect our children to do what they have not been shown.
John 5:19
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
John 8:38
I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”
Whether we realize it or not they are watching. They will do what they see us doing. So let’s purpose ourselves to do our best according to the standard of the word of God!
Father we thank You that You are a Father that show’s us good things. Help us reveal Your goodness to our children through our own behavior. Forgive us for sometimes being lazy and letting the world define the standard instead of establishing the Word to be the standard. Help us do and say what we see and hear You do by Your word. Make us aware of behavior that is not pleasing to You and help us correct it so that we can reflect Your image before our children. Give us balance as we enjoy our children and watch them grow into who You have called them to be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
John 5:19
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
John 8:38
I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.”
Whether we realize it or not they are watching. They will do what they see us doing. So let’s purpose ourselves to do our best according to the standard of the word of God!
Father we thank You that You are a Father that show’s us good things. Help us reveal Your goodness to our children through our own behavior. Forgive us for sometimes being lazy and letting the world define the standard instead of establishing the Word to be the standard. Help us do and say what we see and hear You do by Your word. Make us aware of behavior that is not pleasing to You and help us correct it so that we can reflect Your image before our children. Give us balance as we enjoy our children and watch them grow into who You have called them to be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!
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