A man of God shared a story about his son’s reaction when he witnessed two people fighting for the first time. The boy ran inside and exclaimed, “Dad, I saw two demons fighting!” The father was surprised by this statement, so he went to investigate and found two people in an altercation. Unknown to the boy, humans could fight, as he had never seen his parents argue or quarrel. This incident highlights the importance of modelling positive behaviour for children.
Friend, God wants you to be a model, and your marriage to be a model marriage (Isaiah 51:1-2). Dear young man or woman, if you are not ready to be a good model to your children, don’t marry. The first model God wants you to be is to your children. It has been said that it is better to prepare a child than to repair an adult (Proverbs 22:6).
The bulk of what people would become has already been defined and determined by their upbringing (Psalm 127:3-5). If parents understand the weight of the responsibility given to them by God, they would not be careless about how they raise their children (Genesis 18:17-19). Some would not even rush to give birth.
Every child deserves a good family atmosphere. Their future depends on it (Psalm 128:1-6). God is looking for men and women who would provide the right atmosphere to raise godly seeds under their care. It is the same reason Jesus was placed in an earthy family to be raised by Mary and Joseph (Luke 2:40-42). What if Mary and Joseph had been wrong models to Jesus?
Dear fathers and mothers, God is not first looking for preachers at home. He is looking for doers (Acts 1:1). If you like, preach from now till tomorrow, your children would only do what they see you do, not what you say. Match your words with actions. Be intentional about what you model to your children (2 Timothy 1:5). You are their first teachers and mentors.
If you are privileged to be raised in a healthy family, don’t spoil your own children. Rather, raise the bar (2 Timothy 3:15). Do more than your parents did. If you were raised in an unhealthy family atmosphere, make up your mind to turn things around. Don’t repeat negative history. Rather, start a new and positive one (Galatians 3:13-14). Take up the challenge to give your children what your parents couldn’t give you. Be a good model.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria