Influencers are everywhere, right? We are surrounded by the theme of influence. Whether on social media, through television, or even through our strong-willed child who wants to debate everything, we are constantly being inundated with ways to influence others. How many times as your child told you they want to be an influencer? I know mine tell me they have YouTuber on their dream job list. It’s the world we live in. As parents, how can we take opportunities to model for our children ways they can positively influence those around them. We all have influence. How are we using that influence.
Start with these habits.
Kids are Watching. What Are You Showing?
Whether you like it or not, you are being watched. Kids want to hear what you have to say but also what you do. It is essential that you model the behavior you are modeling for them. Actions speak louder than words.
Teach Through Weakness
Leading and teaching others through your own weaknesses is the best way to show humility. It can be uncomfortable but showing others how to do something through your failures can make a big impact.
Learn From Jesus
Take time reading the scriptures and seeing how Jesus treats people. Have you watched the Chosen? You can see these relationships with Jesus come to life on the screen. As you teach your child and think about yourself, ponder what you see Jesus saying and doing? Did he have a positive attitude? Did he grumble a lot? How did he treat people? Did he call people names? Read through the Gospels as you watch the life of Jesus and look only at how he interacted with others. Write down what you learn and talk about it as a family.
Fill Up with The Right Things
What are you filling up with? If you fill up with garbage you will only be able to spew out garbage. Garbage in and garbage out. In order to ask like Jesus, you must fill up with his Word. Set up habits that allow you to spend time in the word. Ask yourself if there are things you need to cut out of your life that are just feeding negativity or unhealthy behaviors. Take inventory. It’s easy to let things creep in that seem harmless but that don’t actually lead you closer to Jesus. Identify those things and replace them. Talk to your kids about how you are making these choice so they see how important it is to develop strong and healthy habits. It’s an ongoing process.
No matter what you decide, you will have influence. Your child needs to know that every choice they make can influence someone else. A bad choice and a good choice have influence. People will be watching. This isn’t meant to scare them, but to show that intentionality is essential. Imagine if we all raised children who wanted to influence others to follow Jesus! What a glorious future that would be.
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