When I was a little boy, every year at Christmas my Dad put the Lionel trains under the Christmas tree. One year he took a picture of me kneeling in front of the trains, watching as they circled the tree. Last year I took this picture of my grandson doing the exact same thing at my home.
It's amazing how much influence we have on our kids. They imitate us is so many ways, often when we least expect it and frequently with behaviors we don't want to duplicate. Ever heard your kid say something bad and then realize they learned it from you?! Whether you want to be or not, you are a role model to the kids who observe your life.
But the good news is that imitation is a great teaching tool and when we leverage it for positive outcomes, everybody wins! I'm convinced that most of what kids learn from us is caught from observing our behaviors and attitudes, our responses to life situations- and not nearly as much from what we say as from what we do. That means that we will improve our influence- by improving ourselves- by being passionate Christ followers. The more we imitate Christ, the more kids will imitate us- and ultimately Him.
I want to lead by example and the best way for me to do that is to chase God as hard as I can. It's cool that Tyler kneels to watch trains like I did. But I'd be more impressed if he learns to kneel and pray from watching the example of my life.
