There’s an old saying about dads and their boys. “Like father, like son.”
Whenever my boys see me do something they think is cool, they’ll try to imitate what they saw me doing. It’s a great feeling to have your son look up to you, and want to be like you, but it can also be kind of scary. Dads aren’t always perfect, you know.
I remember a few years ago when my son was learning to talk, I said a bad word in front of him. He didn’t miss that one, and to my horror and embarrassment, for the next few days he walked around randomly repeating that word, both at home and out in public.
It was a great lesson for me about what sort of example I am setting for my kids. What other areas of my life do they see that I don’t want them to follow?
As a Christian, I am supposed to be following hard after Christ. 1 John 2:6 “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
It’s true that He is my greatest example, and I sincerely do want to be like Him. God is perfect in holiness. All His ways are pure. I want my life to be lived with integrity and honesty, above reproach. I love my Father in heaven, and my hearts desire is to be more and more like Him.
The Bible says we are to “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Ephesians 5:1
As a child of God, my life is supposed to become more and more like His, as I am continually conformed by the power of the Spirit. When my life is right with God, I can be confident that I am setting the proper example for my boys.
As long as I am following the footsteps of my Father, I don’t have to worry about what will happen if my son follows his.
What sort of example do you set for the people who look up to you?