Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Ephesians 5:1
I am constantly amazed by the lessons I learn about God just by being around my kids. I typically don't notice these lessons for what they are at the time, but something later just throws the memory right back in my face and says, "See, this is what I was trying to show you."
I was sitting in a church service about a month ago and the sermon came from Ephesian 5. As my Pastor began reading, my mind got stuck on the first verse. To be honest, I may not have heard any other part of the sermon because I just couldn't get it out of my head. Memories from my childhood and now memories of my children just came rushing into my head like a flood.
Memories of one of my dad’s favorite sayings when I was younger, "Do as I say, not as I do." I remember hearing this many times from him and even as an adolescent thinking, "How hypocritical is that?!!” Or memories of my mom telling me I couldn’t have a credit card, but using one herself. Guess what I did my freshman year of college…got a credit card. Hey, I was an adult after all.
Recent memories from my children reinforced in me that they are always watching…and I am leading by example (whether or not that example is a good one). Like the times that my 3 year old son lovingly calls my wife “baby” or “honey” because I use these terms often when talking to her. Or when I was outside just the other day picking up rocks off the driveway and throwing them across the street into an empty lot, when my 1 year old daughter waddled over beside me, bent down and picked up her own rock and threw it as far as her little chunky arm would allow.
This lesson I learned from God through my kids doesn’t stop at the Parent/Child relationship. It also reminded me that I could talk a “good Christian” game, but I’d better be living up to those claims. That old saying, “Actions speak louder than words,” is absolute truth. We can either be a small reason someone leans toward God or a HUGE reason someone turns away saying, “All those Christians are hypocrites, what’s the point?”
I thank God for my children and for teaching me life lessons through them.
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Ephesians 5:1
