We Are Influential

Train up a child in the way He should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

It was late last night when my son asked me if I would read with him.  My immediate response was no because it had been a very long day and all I really wanted to do was sit down and snuggle.  Well, he knew just what to say to get me to rethink my answer....."the bible, will you read the bible with me?"  My face lit up as I looked at him and said, "you know I can't say no to that".  He smiled, he knew I would never refuse the bible and therefore he had me.  So we sat down and I asked him what he wanted to read.  He went to the back of his bible and looked for a topic......found one he wanted to work on and we began reading in James 3 and 4.

This moment with my son also made me realize the importance of living out my faith.  I had been sharing God in my every day, my stories of victory and answered prayer, our bedtime prayers, our almost daily Jesus Calling devotions we sneak in before the bus arrives, my time on the computer typing blogs, my bible study nights, and my "when this door is shut mommy is having quiet time.....do not disturb".   My son knew my love for God and His word.  He was able to use this knowledge to His advantage and give me an offer I couldn't refuse.  I was reminded of how influential we are, as parents.  Our children see everything we do.  They pick up habits and mannerisms that we don't even notice.  They mimic our attitudes towards certain things and tend to talk a lot like we do. They even tend to love the things we love and participate in the things we participate in.  While this can be a good thing, it can also be very dangerous.  God understands the importance of parental influence.  He is the Father of all Fathers!  He knows how important it is it be a good example.  He is our perfect example!  Several times in the bible we are told to live out our faith.  Just knowing isn't enough.....we must prove our belief and what we know through our actions and our words.  God knows that people learn best and are influenced by the things they see and hear.  He asks us to share those things with our children, our friends and the strangers we meet.  

So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine.  Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Teach them to your children.  Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

Deuteronomy 11:18-19         

Knowing all this, we must be careful. Our influence can just as easily be a negative thing.  I am not sharing this story with you to show you that I have it all right and that I am raising my children to be godly and perfect.  I also have a confession to make about what I am doing wrong.  I recently came to terms with God about my short temper and my lack of patience and compassion toward my children.  I found myself to be selfish in my dealings with them and I was not giving them the best of me.  I was seeing my impatience and judgmental sneers come out in my children.  Their dealings with each other were resembling the things I would say or the way I would act toward them and it made me sad.  For a long time God was pursuing me in this area but I just wasn't ready to let it go.  I think it had a lot to do with having 4 kids from 3.  I felt I needed to step up my authority and control to be able to handle the extra commotion and activities and noise that came with an additional child.  Whatever the reason God was able to break me of my will.  And while I am disappointed in my behavior I am so excited to know that God loves me gently enough to wait on my obedience.  I know that all I need to do is ask for His help and He will show me what to do and how to do it.  He was even so gracious to lift me up and give me that moment with my son last night to show me that I am not all that bad of a mom ;)

God has given me my family for a reason.  He knows that I am the best mom for them and I need to take that responsibility seriously.  When God first spoke to my heart,  I wasn't willing to hear Him, but after several months,  He was able to convict me of an area of my life where He wanted change. Today make a choice to evaluate your life and the things you are passing on to your children, grandchildren, friends and acquaintances.  What do they learn from watching you? What has God been speaking to your heart?  Is He asking you to change a behavior or give up a habit?  Does He want more of your time?  Is God gently convicting you to hand over your will and plans in order to get on the path He has laid out for you?  Talk to Him.  Spend time in His word and ask Him to show you the things in your life that He wants you to change or share with others.  When He shows you, ask Him for the strength to follow through.