Why do we become annoyed with our loved ones? How is it that we can so easily be short with our spouse and children? These things happen to all of us, just some more than others. How come the ones we love sometimes tend to get the worst from us?
There are so many moments throughout the day that present opportunities for us to show those we love how much they really mean to us. Unfortunately we are blind to a lot of them. When our daughter is trying so diligently to get our attention while we are busy cooking or talking on the phone, or when our son is trying so hard to get our attention while we are watching the football game. These are golden opportunities for us to quit what we are doing, give our child our undivided attention, & let them know that they are more important to us than whatever "thing" we might have been doing.
Unfortunately though, in most cases, we show them just the opposite. We show them that whatever "thing" we might be doing is more important than them by either ignoring them, or give them a half-ass acknowledgement. This is obviously not intentional, since we all love our children, but this is definitely what we are showing them.
Actions speak louder than words, & we all know this to be true. We tell our children not to swear, but then we go & do it. What does the child do? Like father, like son. We tell our daughters that it doesn't matter what other people think of them, then we talk about how fat we are. What does our daughter learn? That it is important what other people think of us.
There is enough crap in this world already setting a horrible path for our children, the last thing we need to do is enforce it. It doesn't matter what we have, or don't have, yet we give everything we can into competing with the Jones'. The way we dress, the way we talk, the way we respond... All of these things our children are observing, & absorbing. We can't kid our selves. Our children will grow up to be EXACTLY like us.
Great responsibility rest on our shoulders as parents. If we truly want the best for our children, then we have to model it for them. We need to just take a long, hard, look at our self in the mirror, & ask if this is truly the life we want to give to our children. Most of us want our kids to marry a great spouse, be loved, have children, & enjoy a life of love & happiness.
We so readily give up on family & marriages, stress over money, and live a life short of what we want our children to have. We are setting the example. We are setting the bar. Our daughters will grow up looking for a man just like us, because we are showing them what a man looks like. Our sons will grow up and treat women how we treat women, because we are showing them how a man is supposed to act. Our daughters will grow up and treat their husband just like their mom has taught them, and our sons will grow up and look for a woman just like what mom has shown him a woman should be.
If we want the best for our children, we HAVE to SHOW them what that looks like. This requires us to quit looking at life through our narrow, selfish, perspective, and start to see things through a much different scope. Our innocent children's futures hinge on our every day life. What example are we setting for them today?
There are so many moments throughout the day that present opportunities for us to show those we love how much they really mean to us. Unfortunately we are blind to a lot of them. When our daughter is trying so diligently to get our attention while we are busy cooking or talking on the phone, or when our son is trying so hard to get our attention while we are watching the football game. These are golden opportunities for us to quit what we are doing, give our child our undivided attention, & let them know that they are more important to us than whatever "thing" we might have been doing.
Unfortunately though, in most cases, we show them just the opposite. We show them that whatever "thing" we might be doing is more important than them by either ignoring them, or give them a half-ass acknowledgement. This is obviously not intentional, since we all love our children, but this is definitely what we are showing them.
Actions speak louder than words, & we all know this to be true. We tell our children not to swear, but then we go & do it. What does the child do? Like father, like son. We tell our daughters that it doesn't matter what other people think of them, then we talk about how fat we are. What does our daughter learn? That it is important what other people think of us.
There is enough crap in this world already setting a horrible path for our children, the last thing we need to do is enforce it. It doesn't matter what we have, or don't have, yet we give everything we can into competing with the Jones'. The way we dress, the way we talk, the way we respond... All of these things our children are observing, & absorbing. We can't kid our selves. Our children will grow up to be EXACTLY like us.
Great responsibility rest on our shoulders as parents. If we truly want the best for our children, then we have to model it for them. We need to just take a long, hard, look at our self in the mirror, & ask if this is truly the life we want to give to our children. Most of us want our kids to marry a great spouse, be loved, have children, & enjoy a life of love & happiness.
We so readily give up on family & marriages, stress over money, and live a life short of what we want our children to have. We are setting the example. We are setting the bar. Our daughters will grow up looking for a man just like us, because we are showing them what a man looks like. Our sons will grow up and treat women how we treat women, because we are showing them how a man is supposed to act. Our daughters will grow up and treat their husband just like their mom has taught them, and our sons will grow up and look for a woman just like what mom has shown him a woman should be.
If we want the best for our children, we HAVE to SHOW them what that looks like. This requires us to quit looking at life through our narrow, selfish, perspective, and start to see things through a much different scope. Our innocent children's futures hinge on our every day life. What example are we setting for them today?
OSA this is so true! It's one of the things I beat myself up about everyday...my short fuse with them...everyday I try to be better...but I still make mistakes..I wish god could take it away from me permanently..great blog!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback. I would like to share something with you. We all struggle, every day, every moment, with the selfish nature within us. There is only one solution. One way to win. One way to be saved from the enemy within. Salvation is not just fire insurance. We, as believers, have the ability through Jesus Christ to walk in salvation. Salvation is in the moment. If we learn to walk in the Spirit, then we will find these instances far less prevelant in our lives. By living a life of surrender, gratitude, and trust in God, then we find that we can have the right focus throughout the day. If trust God completely, and we are giving thanks always, then we will be comfortable letting go of whatever we are doing, not matter how urgent we might make it out to be, and turn our time over for those who need it.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for sharing!