Raising Kingdom Kids
Modeling God’s Way – Part 5
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Key Verses: Deuteronomy 6:5-6
And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.
What would make you a better person? To answer that, finish this sentence: If people in my home and at my workplace would treat me with ___________, I would be a better person. Let me do some guessing as to what you might put in that blank space. If people around me would be more forgiving when I mess up, I could be a better person. If people would be more accepting of who I am, as an individual, I could be a better person. If people would treat me with respect, I could be a better person. If people would keep their cool and talk to me without anger, I would be a better person.
I have a feeling that there are several other things you could think of that if a person treated you a certain way, it would make it easier for you to be a better person. Why don’t we think that way when it comes to us treating other people a certain way, especially our children? Are you consistent with your emotional levels? Are you calm, when they mess up? Do you clarify the consequences before they break the rules? Are you forgiving to them when they make a mess? Do you bring up past offenses, when you know that wouldn’t be something you would want someone to do to you? Let me challenge you to do as the Bible challenges us to do, treat others as you want to be treated!
The heart of modeling is showing others, with your actions and attitudes, what you would want others to do for you. No matter if we are still parenting kids living at home or working with co-workers, good modeling works because most of us want the same things: forgiveness, kindness, respect, consistency. (Continued)
Father, help me model to others how I would want to be treated. In Jesus’ Name, amen.