CHILDREN ARE MIRRORS
Proverbs
20:7 The righteous who walks in his
integrity—blessed are his children after him!
A man was asked to give a commencement address several
years ago and as he sat on the platform after the speech watching the graduates
receive their college degrees, the entire audience began applauding for a
student who had earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average.
During the applause, a
faculty member seated next to the speaker leaned over and said to him, “She may
be Miss Genius, but her attitude stinks.” The speaker later said, “Without even
thinking, my hands stopped clapping for her in mid-air. I couldn’t help but
think, How sad.”
No matter how beautiful, intelligent, talented, or
athletic a child may be, there’s no substitute for a child having a positive,
loving attitude toward others. The foremost architect of that attitude is not
going to be a teacher, pastor, or a coach. It will be the parents.
Be careful in the attitudes you “feed” your children
daily. They become the diet of your child’s mind, just as food becomes the diet
for your child’s body. Don’t feed your children junk ideas, sour opinions,
rotten theology, poison feelings or wilted enthusiasm. Instead, feed your
children with the best and most Christian ideas, expressions of feeling, and
opinions you have. Our children are like mirrors, they reflect the attitudes in
us.
