Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
I Corinthians 11:1
I was sitting on the couch when I heard my 7-year-old in his room. He was lost in his own play and imagination, yet singing at the top of his lungs, “I love you Jesus!”
Oh, my heart! Here was this little boy, lost in his toys and youth, but with Jesus. His cheers were conveying the Savior in his heart. What sweet words those were, and what validation that he is seeing Jesus in our home even when I might not feel like I am shining the brightest as his mom.
I want to be a good example to my children. I want to be an imitator of Christ, hoping they will follow my example and live their own lives for Jesus. As a mom, the aim for which I sharpen my arrow and my most urgent prayer is to raise kids that follow me as I follow Christ.
Some days I do really well. Other days I skate through by the skin of my teeth. Then there are the days that I fail completely and all I can do is cry out. In my relationship with Christ, I seek to align myself with Him, to be a woman imitative of Jesus so that when my children see me, they see their Savior. And, the only way to show Jesus is to know Jesus.
When our children look at us, yes, they should see our good to others, our righteousness, our forgiveness, but they should also see our forbearance. Our kids should see our everyday, practical commitment to our Father – which sometimes looks like snuggling on the couch in their presence and tasting that the Lord is good even before sipping our savory cup of morning coffee. They should see joy, patience, kindness and all those other delicious Fruits of the Spirit and our personal devotion, sometimes before our words have a chance to even train them.
To simply teach our children the Word without letting them understand Jesus through our example is anemic at best and hypocritical at worst. When our lives are partnered with Christ, displaying Christ-like behavior, it goes a long way. Because, our kids see it all. They will be the ones who tell the story of our lives, the ones who turn over their shoulder in appreciation if we are intentional (Proverbs 31), and the ones who see firsthand how we respond to others’ unforgiveness, fear, or grief. What a heavy weight when we consider the purpose for living for Jesus should encompass that little eyes are watching us. Are we living a story worth telling? Are we someone worthy of being emulated? Each day we make a choice … to live for Jesus or the world, to shine like a bright beacon of God’s love or to wallow in our own understanding.
I believe our children’s hugs, the way we see them interact with others, and the fruit they bear is one of the greatest gifts to us as moms…as said by the apostle John in his third book chapter one verse four; there is no. greater. joy. It is in those unexpected moments that God blesses us by revealing how our own intimate relationship with Him has in fact impacted our home.
Your Fellow Able Mom,
Betty Predmore
Thank you God that you reveal to us those areas where we fall short, and give us the strength to work through them. Help us to continue to seek you, using every bit of that knowledge to be an example to our children. Our kids are watching, so help us to glorify you in all we do. Amen.
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