Shine His Light

We had a great sermon at church yesterday and it has me thinking. I know that as a believer, we are supposed to walk with Christ and act in a way that encourages others to accept Him. I think that as a mom, it's even more important to "walk the walk" instead of just "talking the talk".

My girls watch everything I do and repeat everything I say. They notice every angry look, every harsh word, every eye roll, every action I take or don't take. They see me when I stop to say hello to a lonely woman or when I purposefully avoid someone who doesn't fit in. They hear my cheerful responses to people from all walks of life and they hear my muttering to bad drivers.

They know if I curse or if I say please and thank you. They know if I order a frapuccino when I'm complaining that we don't have money. They know where the donut store is and that you can buy slices of cake from Starbucks.

Do they understand it all? No, not yet. But I think they file these things away and use them to help build THEIR character. Kids look up to their moms and dads for examples of what to do. It could be a few years from now when I'm talking about tight finances when the girls might remember if I didn't spend money the right away today. At the same time, I can also teach them that it's ok to treat yourself once in a while.

So although the pressure of being a follower of Christ can be a little intense and can be hard to strive for, the benefits of teaching my girls how to live the RIGHT way are worth it. And when I do things the right way, it brings a smile to my face and hopefully to God's face too.