BE LIKE DADDY

Every morning I awake to the sounds of a baby monitor and Luke stirring to awake himself. It's such a joy because I can't wait to see his smile. Usually it's the same routine. I hold him until Mommy gets his bottle. I turn on the Disney Channel and we watch Special Agent Oso or The Mickey Mouse Club together while Mommy gives him his bottle.

But this morning, Mommy had to get the older girls out the door so Daddy had Luke duty. I was under the covers and Luke wanted to be just like his Dad this morning. I can't tell you how cool that was to have my 1o month old trying to really imitate me for the first time.

You see this all the time. I've seen my nephew mowing behind my brother-in-law, little boys dressed like their dads, and little girls trying to help their mommies around the house. Watching children attempt to imitate their parents is the essence of joy.

It is also pretty scary. Our kids watch every move we make. The good ones, but also the not so good moves. They hear what we say, and see what we do. We get upset when our kids yell at others, or us but where did they learn to yell? Our kids cut corners or tell little white lies, but where did they learn to act like that? Our kids want to watch “R” rated movies . . . you get the point.

The Word of God gives us instructions on what to say and do in Ephesians 5:1:

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ has also loved us and given Himself for us.”

In other words, we are to imitate the goodness of God just like we would want our children to imitate our good points at all times. Two key points come out of this verse:

1) We are to walk in love, just as God loves us.

2) We are to be givers and not selfish because of this love.

If we keep reading the passage it gives us the behaviors we are to stay away from; uncleanliness (dirty thoughts), selfishness, filthy or foolish speaking (cursing, dirty jokes, yelling) and coarse jesting (sexually explicit actions).

These are all acts that our kids watch closely. Think about it, are you leading your kids towards God or away from Him? Imitating your Heavenly Daddy must happen so that your children can imitate Him also.

There is nothing better than a child wanting to be like their parents. There is nothing sadder than when our kids act out our bad actions. This is not how you want to be imitated. If you don’t have kids, someone else is watching you (i.e. a friend, a classmate or coworker).

They say that imitation is the biggest form of flattery. I can only imagine how proud a Daddy God is when we imitate Him and show others His grace, love and mercy.

Blessings,

Jody Hinkle