Proverbs 23:26
My son, pay close attention, and gladly follow my example.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Timothy is like a sponge… soaking up information and ideas from everything and everyone he encounters. He loves to dance and move to the music of shows like those on NickJr., and his Uncle Greg taught him to pat his arm with one hand instead of clapping… a good example of how he mimics what he sees and hears.
As he grows, Timothy will learn to make choices, and he will “pick and choose” which examples to follow. Like most humans, he will pay close attention to the behaviors of others… and some of those examples may not necessarily be good ones, even from Godly influences in his life. Even the best, most devout Christians sometimes set poor examples. We all let life get the best of us from time to time and “show out.” And as I’ve said many times, people are watching!
Additionally, we humans want to do things our way… to make our own choices about what to say and do. We really don’t want anyone else telling us how to live, do we?! But clearly, we all need help. We all need Someone to guide our steps and provide us with strong, clear, perfect examples of operating within the will of God. And we have these examples in the life of Jesus Christ … and they are documented in the Bible.
Can I tell you something? These perfect examples don’t help us one whit if we aren’t paying attention! They surely are of no use if we have decided to do things our way. And whether we want to admit it or not, if we are not following the examples of Jesus, we’ve chosen to follow the examples and guidance of Satan. Do we really want to let the devil have a foothold in our lives, much less the upper hand?
Find some time every day to study God’s word. At least once or twice a day, take a few minutes to spend in prayer. It doesn’t have to be lengthy… just acknowledge God’s presence in your life and ask Him to give you His guidance throughout your day. Pay close attention! Gladly follow His example and don’t give the devil any room to drag you off course. Choose God’s examples… and follow them closely. Ask Him to help you set good examples for others, as well.
The world is watching… whose examples are you showing them?
©2010 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment