A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11
The children were in the living room doing their schoolwork. Then one of them began to repeat what the other was saying. Word for word, matching their tone and everything. After a couple of minutes, they switched roles and other began to imitate their sibling as well. This went on for quite some time. Going back and forth, getting more creative with the sounds.
Have you noticed how great imitators children are? Let us give them something worth imitating. I pray for grace to boldly say just like Paul did in 1 Corinthians 11:1, You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
Looking at the followers of Jesus as a great example; they were constantly with Jesus listening intently to His words and watching His actions closely. They took note of how Jesus got up early to go and pray, how He looked upon people with compassion before healing them, how He spoke with authority and that He expressed unwavering Faith in God at all times.
In the same way, our children are constantly watching our actions, they are listening to our words, and we are discipling them whether we recognize it or not. Recognizing that the parent-child relationship is like the Jesus-disciple relationship in so many ways enables us to be more intentional in fashioning our lives according to Christ. So, the question to you is; are you following Christ?
We visited family the other day and my niece was ironing her clothes for the week. This was shocking to me; I didn’t know her generation even knew how operate an iron. I tend to leave all my ironing to the dryer, but she was in her room for about 2 hours ironing every single piece of cloth that she had washed and dried. She looked exhausted so I asked her why she was doing all this, and her response was; I don’t know. I see my dad doing it so I just do it too. Oh my goodness! Her reply gave me goosebumps as it dawned on me that my children are going to do things simply because they see me doing them. Many times they will not need any other reason besides the fact that they have seen me or their Dad do it. Our children look up to us and consider whatever we do or say as what they need to do or say. I quietly said this prayer: Lord, please help me to do what is righteous so that as my children imitate my actions, they will be imitating righteousness.
As parents, when we are trusting in God and leaning on His promises, when we believe that God is faithful to His Word then we have the confidence to can ask God helps us not to worry, to trust in Him and He gives us the grace with which to be imitators of Christ. In order for us to aptly do this, we must be filled up with the Word of God. When we store up God’s word in our hearts, it is second nature for us to speak the words of God with our mouths and our actions are guided by God’s word.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed. 1 Timothy 3:16-17
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