Today I want to speak to all of the parents out there, all of the aunts and uncles, grandma's and grandpa's, teachers, and everyone who has any place in a child's life.
In the mornings while my sons and I drive to town we are usually worshiping and/or praying. The boys are 2 and 5 months, so really they are just there while mommy worships and prays. My 2 year old will sing and clap and dance and drum, even though he has no clue what he's doing, he's just having fun with mommy I know God smiles. He is learning. One day he will know exactly what he is doing.
Anyway, today was one of those Romans 8:26 mornings; "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." As I was praying and I was crying, my heart was heavy. Then I hear my 2 year old do this: (please picture how a 2 year old looks and sounds, shaking his head in the "nana-nana-boo-boo" type way) lalalalala-lalalalalala..... I erupted with laughter!!!
These children, no matter how young or how old, see everything we do, they hear everything we do, and then they repeat everything we do.
What are you doing? What are you doing when your children aren't watching? What are you doing when you think that your children aren't watching? What are you doing out in the open in front of them, weather you think they're too young to know what you're doing or not?
The truth is, yes they are too young to know what you're doing, but that doesn't matter. They will repeat whatever it is that you're doing and saying because they don't know. They don't know if mommy and daddy's drink is an adult beverage or not, they don't know if the words they are hearing are good and pure or corrupt, mean, degrading and disrespectful. They don't know if daddy is hurting mommy. They don't know if they are or are not supposed to take baths or have food to eat. They don't know if they are lifting their hands in worship to the Lord. They don't know if mommy and daddy love each other or not. They don't even know what love is.
BUT THEY ARE BEING TOUGHT.
One day these babies will know what is going on around them. The sad thing is they may not know that there is another way. We need to make sure that we are doing what the Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
God, awaken us this morning. Awaken us to what biblical parenthood looks like. Awaken us to see that we are influencing little lives all around us. We know that no one is perfect, your word says that we all fall short of the gory of God. You also tell us that a righteous man may fall down 7 times, but he get's back up. Today, lift us up. We accept your grace and your mercy. Show us today how to be a positive, godly influence to those around us. Help us to be your light. We thank you for your unending forgiveness and your never failing love.
In Jesus' holy name we pray,
Amen
Go. Be encouraged today. Be a godly example today. You are always an example, make sure it's a godly one.
~Awaken Us~
Brenna Stanford
