Thank you for visiting. We trust that you have enjoyed reading our articles.
Attention Fathers! Little Eyes Are Watching
“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18 ESV).
Theodore and Nancy Faust Sizer authored the book The Students are Watching. The Sizers wrote about classrooms and schools, explaining that students learn from what their teachers do and say, and also from the things their teachers do not do or say. One significant finding from the book was “They watch us all the time. The students, that is. They listen to us sometimes. They learn from all that watching and listening.” Children are also learning at home. They are watching both parents. Daughters look to their father to understand what is a Godly man. Sons learn from their father how to treat women. Much of what our children learn at home is learned by watching.
The most important thing with children is what you do, not what you say. How effective is it for a father to tell his son not to use tobacco while the father is smoking a cigarette? As a young
boy, I was always watching my father. I understood that his words were true because they were supported by his actions. I was blessed because he brought me up in accordance with Ephesians 6:4. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” My father not only made sure I attended church to hear the Word proclaimed, but he did his best to model authentic manhood for me by showing kindness to strangers, those in need, and loving my mother.
Our prisons are filled with young men that grew up without a father present in the house. Sadly, many times when the father was present he was not engaged in raising the child. Proverbs 22:6 teaches us, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
It has been said that the best sermons are lived and not preached. This is not meant to diminish the importance of the spoken Word. The Word is powerful and is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. It is meant to emphasize the importance of what we do because little eyes are watching to see if our actions correspond to our words.
Prayer: Thank you for the blessing of children. May be always be mindful of our joyful responsibility to properly raise them. Keep us mindful of our words and actions so that they will help us to raise up children that seek you first. Amen.
Meet the Author
Todd Shupe is a Men’s Ministry Specialist through the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is in training to be a Certified Lay Minister through the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He currently serves as the President of the Baton Rouge District of United Methodist Men and is a Board Member for Gulf South Men and serves on the Action Team for The Kingdom Group. He is a volunteer for the Walk to Emmaus, Grace Camp, and Iron Sharpens Iron. Todd resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
We welcome your comments below.
Liked this post?
Read more below or search for more topics...
-
The Greatest Threat To The Church Is…
The Greatest Threat To The Church Is… “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others” (Matthew 6:5 NIV). I think when most people think about threats to the local church, they think about declining membership and attendance and associated financial issues. Yes, it is true that many small churches have closed or will close in the near future due to insufficient membership and finances. However, in the book The Myth of the Dying Church by Glenn T. Stanton, the author presents a... -
Children of Incarcerated Parents Need Caring Volunteers To Improve Quality Of Life
Children of Incarcerated Parents Need Caring Volunteers To Improve Quality Of Life "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering" (Hebrews 13:3 NIV). The errors that parents occasionally make all too often end up on the shoulders of their children. Failing to secure a well-paying job before having kids, not having a home fit to raise children in or having kids while the relationship between you and your partner is failing are just some signs of a rough road ahead. While the ramifications of... -
The Precious Gift of Time
The Precious Gift of Time “Use your time in the best way you can” (Colossians 4:5 ICB). I recently had a nice visit with a young man at my church. He told me that he was about to graduate high school and study engineering in college so he could “make a lot of money.” I told him there is nothing wrong with making a lot of money. I reminded him that the founder of the Methodist church, John Wesley, had a profound statement in this regard. Wesley stated, “Having, first, gained all you can, and, secondly saved all you can, then give all you can.” Clearly,...