Читать книгу Going with the Flow - Linda Estes - Страница 30

27…Train Them Up

Good morning! We’ve all heard the saying that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but that’s not always the case. Yesterday as I was waiting to see my doctor, a woman and four kids came into the waiting room. Within a few minutes of their conversation, one of the kids started loudly giving his responses. The real problem wasn’t that his voice was too loud, but what he was saying. Let’s just say if that language was used in a movie, it would have to be R-rated. The mother quickly let the rest of us know that he was not her child but a friend’s child that she was babysitting.

It was a great reminder that it makes a difference what we do and say around children. They observe our behavior and hear our words and often repeat them. You don’t have to be their parents or grandparents to make a difference either. It can be a neighborhood child, or your friend’s kids, or just a child you see a lot. Since we know that children look up to adults, we need to be aware of our surroundings and who is in earshot of what we are saying and choose our words carefully.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” As adults, we have a wonderful opportunity to influence the next generation for Jesus. So, here’s to choosing our words and actions carefully, especially around children, and giving them something good to imitate!