Words to Live By

I saw this on a friends of mine's Instagram account, and I thought it was great.  I believe she got it from the book Bringing Up Boys by James C. Dobson, which I should probably read from cover to cover it sounds like.

"Children may not remember what you say, but they are usually impacted for life by what you do.  Character training is the primary goal of parenting, and character is learned more by watching than by hearing...children imitate more of what they see than what they hear.  Love others, exercise patience, talk gently to your spouse, serve your friends, live selflessly and grateful so your children will learn to do the same."

What a wonderful reminder of how we should live as Christians.  I will be the first to admit that I need to be reminded of this on a daily basis.  When life gets hectic and stressful at times, it can be difficult to remember to exercise patience or talk gently to your spouse.  

We have such a great responsibility as parents, to be a good example to our children.  We are responsible for teaching them God's word and showing them on a daily basis how to live according to it.  They are always watching us, looking for an example, and if that's not a sobering reminder, I don't know what is!  Well, also the fact that God requires these things of us :) 

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  

Micah 6:8

I pray that I will be a good example to Jack and any other child that we may be blessed with.  I may need to remind myself on a daily basis and some days will be easier than others, but we have been blessed with a great responsibility!  One that shouldn't be taken lightly.

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

Proverbs 22:6    

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."  

Galatians 5:22-23