Setting the Example

This morning, I dropped my youngest off at school and headed to the exit from the drop off area.  When you reach the stop sign there is a sign that reads "No Left Turns" and states a block of times during the drop off and pick up times.  Obviously this is there for purposes of dealing with the traffic flow and the safety for the children walking home.  The car in front of me made a left, and I scoffed (judgmentally, and I asked for forgiveness after)... "Your children probably don't follow the rules either".

And I was immediately convicted.  How many times do we have an expectation of our children that we don't apply to ourselves?  What kind of examples are we setting?

My eldest, in an attempt to be funny, sent me picture via text.

We set rules for our children, with an expectation that they will follow it... simply because they are the children and we are the parents, we are in authority.

However, every we time we speed (and trust me as the kids get older they realize you are speeding)... we tell them that rules don't apply to us, or that it is ok for us to act against authority.

When we make a left hand turn, even when the sign says not to... we tell them that it is ok to disregard rules and directions that you disagree with.

And when they catch us in a "little white lie"... we tell them that it is ok to lie in certain circumstances.

If we truly want our children to follow our rules, we must be setting a good example.

Titus 2:

1You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. 2Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.

11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

15These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.