Watch Me

Here’s a text for you:

For I have given you an example,
that you should do as I have done to you.
(John 13:15 NKJV)

Guess who said that? Right. It was Jesus Himself. Jesus knew his disciples (including you and me today) would learn and, if they put what they learned into practice, live right before God, if they followed His example.

Here’s another text:

Imitate me,
just as I also imitate Christ.
(1 Corinthians 11:1 NKJV)

That’s the apostle Paul talking to other Christians. He knew about the example of Jesus, he was following that example, and he told his fellow Christians to follow his example.

We learn by watching what others do and our behavior choices are influenced as a result of watching them.

Guess who’s watching us as parents? Right again. It’s our children.

They watch constantly. And the choices they make are strongly influenced by the choices we make. So, draw a line and take the sum: we better watch what we’re doing because someone else sure is.

We better be "Behavior Police" of our own actions. We may have considerable control over our kid’s behavior, but we have total control over our own. Since they will exhibit much of our behavior in their lives, we must pay attention to what we are doing!

These two cases are made up, but I think they are very likely quite true-to-life. Of the two examples below, which kid do you really think will turn out better?

Jack

Jack’s parents fuss with each other regularly in front of him. His dad drinks. His mom smokes. When Dad comes home in the evening he complains loudly about how bad he is treated at work. When Mom comes home she is eager to give the latest installment on who is having an affair with whom at the office. After supper Mom and Dad sit down to watch some steamy sit com or drama on TV that glorifies adultery or homosexuality or violence or maybe all three. The kids are present while all of this is played out on the big screen TV. School work is ignored and the kid’s behavior at school is considered amusing. After all, Mom and Dad got into trouble at school themselves. Maybe their kid’s trouble making will get back at those teachers in some way who had tried to teach them some discipline a few years ago. Of course, church attendance is laughed at, if mentioned at all.

Jill

If Jill’s parents have a disagreement, they discuss it quietly between the two of them when the kids are not present. Neither parent drinks nor smokes. If problems at work are discussed, an effort is made to see the issue from both sides. Both parents are obviously disturbed if someone they know is having trouble with their marriage. These two subjects might be used to introduce a family discussion about God’s help in bearing earthly trials and the sanctity of marriage. Wholesome TV, if that’s not an oxymoron, is watched – perhaps a news channel or a documentary, maybe a family oriented video. Achievement and behavior at school are important. Actually, mostly what is needed here is simple encouragement, since behavior which values learning and morality is constantly modeled before the children. Mom and Dad are both Christians, and take it seriously.

Which kid will turn out the best?

My money’s on Jill.

Which kid is yours?