God’s answer:
“Because they abandoned my plain teaching. They wouldn’t listen to anything I
said, refused to live the way I told them to. Instead they lived any way they
wanted and took up with the Baal gods, who they thought would give them what
they wanted—following the example of their parents.” ~ Jeremiah 9:13-14
MSG
Just before Elizabeth was born, Savannah was obsessed with
puppies, to the point that if she found a show with puppies, we would watch it
over and over and over and over and over and over and over until we begged her
to watch something else. Beethoven became one of her
favorites. We didn’t mind her watching it
until we heard her using the word “stupid.”
After realizing it came from the show, not only did we find something
better for her to watch, we also had to go through the work of correcting her language.
Today’s scripture says it’s the parents’ example that
caused the children’s hearts to be turned from listening to God’s Word and
following in His ways. Parents can’t be
held liable for all of a child’s choices and mistakes. But as parents, we must choose a life that
exemplifies Christ, which is a product of an ever deepening relationship with
Him. Children watch, listen and then do, not necessarily as they’re told, but
what they’ve observed.
Joshua 24:15 says to choose for yourselves whom you will
serve. Serving results from relationship, out of really knowing and
understanding someone. When you have a relationship Father God, His Son Jesus,
and Holy Spirit, you will want to
know all you can about them, including how to serve them.
Father, help us not to just tell our children about You and
Your love for them. Help us to demonstrate it through our relationship with
You, reflected in our relationship with them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
©Heather Potts 2016
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