How Can I Be a Good Influence for My Children?
Your children are precious to you. You love them so much you want them to grow and mature into happy, healthy, successful adults. But we live in a time when the world is getting darker and it is becoming more of a challenge to live holy. Unfortunately, even some Christians are opening the door to the enemy by taking part in the world’s unclean entertainment and activities. They may think it won’t hurt them, but people can’t feed on the world’s trash and not be affected.
If we don’t fight the good fight of faith, the devil will come in and take over our homes and children. Do you realise that consistently living a pure lifestyle has everything to do with how your children turn out? If you go to church and talk right and look good in front of people, but then you live differently at home, you are making it very hard for your children to take God seriously.
As they grow up, children learn more by watching what you do than by listening to what you say. And they never forget what they observe at home. Holiness is letting God separate you out of the darkness of the world into a life that is worth living—a life lived in Him. We’re not just choosing for our own lives when we make choices. Deuteronomy 30:19 says, “I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” The decisions we make not only affect us—they also affect our children.
If you fail to teach your children what God’s Word says is moral and immoral, you can be sure the world will teach them what it believes. Watch carefully what others are depositing into your children. Talk to your children and monitor what they are hearing and seeing. Train them to walk with God on a daily basis by reading the Word, praying and spending time with Him. Living a godly life before your children is the best teacher! They might forget your words, but they won’t forget your ways.