Role model

It was never more clear than last night.  Brandi was helping Beau with his "All about Beau" poster for his new pre-K class, and she asked him, "Beau, what do you want to be when you grow up?"  He replied, "I want to do what dad does."  Brandi said, "You want to be a professor?"  Beau replied, "Yes, a professor of water.  I always want to do whatever dad does."

Man, it hit me like bricks.  That kid looks up to me.  That is a sobering responsibility. 

Why don't I look up to my Heavenly Father that way?  Jesus said, I do whatever I see the Father doing. ... My food is to do the will of my Father. ... As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.

This really convicted me about how I discipline my boys.  The higher goal is not to make my boys act they way that I want them to, because that is simply behavior modification.  The higher goal is to clearly show them the person and character of our Heavenly Father and lead them to love Him with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Thus, I need to discipline them with kindness and patience that reflects our Heavenly Father.  More deeply, every day, but especially in those frustrating moments, I need to set my mind on the Spirit and put to death my flesh so that Christ can live through me, and my boys will see Him in me.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to be a father.  Lord, thank you for helping me realize that I need to lead my boys to follow you, especially during this season when they look up to me, because I know that it is brief.  Lord, I want to look up to you the way my boys look up to me.  I love you, and I want to follow you. I want to be just like you. I pray in the name of Jesus.