What Am I Teaching Them?

One of my biggest goals in life is to be the best husband and father that I can be. To be the husband and father that God wants me to be. I have been able to spend a little extra time with my children the last few days and one thing God has laid on my heart is “what am I teaching them?” In Proverbs it says:

Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it…Proverbs 22:6

I have had to ask myself, what path am I directing them? I have always tried to encourage my kids. I have always tried to push them to be the best football players they can be. I’ve pushed them to be the best basketball players or the best soccer players they can be. But the question is, do I push them to be the best person they can be? Am I teaching them to follow Christ? Am I teaching them to Love others as Christ loved them?

I have spent many hours in the yard or at the gym with my kids with either a basketball, football or a baseball, but how much time have I spent with them reading the Bible or praying with them.

I think the hardest thing I’ve come to realize and open my heart to is, “what am I showing them?” What do my kids see in me? Do they see Christ in my actions? Do they see Christ in the way I react with others? How often do they see me spending time in the Word or spending time in prayer? We as parents and as followers of Jesus are supposed to lead by example.

But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea…Matthew 18:6

That scripture right there is pretty hard for me to swallow. How many times have I caused my kids to sin? How many times have I had my kids tells someone a lie to keep me from having to do something? If I’m supposed to be a Godly example for my kids I’m afraid to admit that I sometimes fall short. Probably a lot more than I think.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wanting your kids to be great athletes or to be successful academically, the problem is when we push sports and success over teaching our kids to live Christ centered lives. If we don’t teach our kids then someone else will. I’m sorry but I refuse to let the world raise my kids. A world that says its ok to have sex with whoever you want, its ok to divorce you spouse because they don’t meet you every need, a world that says you can’t talk about your faith because you might offend someone. Nope, not on my watch! God gave us our kids and gave us the responsibility to raise them right. I know that one day I will make my trip to see my Heavenly Father and I want more than anything in this world to one day see them there as well. I would much rather see my kids in Heaven than on the cover of Sports illustrated or on the cover of Forbes magazine.

I’m asking you the same question, what are you teaching you kids?”