Recently I heard this phrase about parenting…
Make sure your video matches your audio.”
In other words, as a parent, my life is speaking as much or more to my children than my words.
Most parents subconsciously know this to be true. But it’s easy to forget, isn’t it?
While saying the right things can be very important in a family, it can never be a replacement for doing the right things in front of our kids.
“Every father should remember that one day his child will follow his example, not his advice.” -Charles Kettering
More than our kids will become what we say, they will become who we are.
Our children are daily being shaped and formed into something, because imitation is one of life’s most natural means of formation.
Our children are becoming us.
A child will unlikely become forgiving, kind, generous, patient, calm, and considerate just because we’ve told them to.
But, like consistent drops in a bucket, a child is much more likely to become all of those things over time as he or she is influenced by our moment by moment fruit-of-the-Spirit led daily life.
If you look back on your own childhood, you can probably recognize that many of the most obvious traits you have today came from exposure to your parent’s lives more than their words.
“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us.” -Umberro Eco
This week, ask God to help your video match your audio. That your words and your actions be parallel pals that are influencing your children for years to come.
