“Do as I SAY, not as I DO!”
Did you ever hear your mother say this? Or…have you, exasperated, ever uttered these words?
I have been guilty of saying one thing but expecting another from my children. I teach my children to speak nice words with a sweet tone of voice (no sarcasm!), but have been known to say the very same things I forbid. I tell them to be patient, but expect IMMEDIATE results when I want them. I warn against complaining, but find myself whining about someone else’s driving skills. I tell them how important it is to extend grace to others, but how well do I fare at it?
Saying one thing and doing another IS something children notice. They can spot hypocrisy a mile away!
Likewise, 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. THEN they can train the younger women….
Little eyes are watching. I know it so much more important to live what I say…not say how I live. (My mother always said, “Actions speak louder than words.”)
Little eyes see if I am walking in the fruit of the Spirit- love (and forgiveness), joy (no matter what the circumstances), peace (NOT stress), patience (including non-verbal sighs), kindness (even when it is not “convenient), gentleness (even when I am tired), goodness (to everyone, even those who aren’t “good” to me) and SELF-CONTROL (do I need to elaborate???). They see if my walk is “real”.
You’ve heard it said, “Walk the walk, not just talk the talk.”
And, as our daughters grow into mature young women, watching Godly mothers truly LIVE OUT their love for the Lord, they see that faith is REAL. Living a Godly life is not just following a set of rules or a regiment, but it grows out of a RELATIONSHIP with a living God. Younger mothers in the church (and at the park and on the soccer sidelines) are drawn to a Light…..a love, a joy, and peace that they want for their own families. We become a reflection of Him…a display of His splendor.
This “attraction” doesn’t result from us telling them how to live, but when they see the fruits of how we are living for themselves. THEN, the mentoring process begins...... THEN we can share with them what God has taught us. We can share with them what God’s wonderful Word says. THEN we can “train the younger women.”
But, first, we must live it out ourselves.
Ponder these two verses, write down what you have learned, what God has shown YOU, and please join us At the Well. Make sure to go to the Well, link there and invite others to share in the conversation today!
Likewise, 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. THEN they can train the younger women….. (Titus 2:3-4, emphasis mine).
Why is the “way we live” so important?
Why does Paul tell Titus to first teach the older
women to “be reverent in the way they live” before they can train younger women?
Thinking about your own life, do you have mentors you can LOOK to….watching them live their lives reverently, AND, are there others (children, younger women in the church, friends of your children) who are watching you live out your life? Is there a difference between what you SAY and how you LIVE?
1 thoughts shared....:
Very great study, and something I definitely needed to be reminded of. Our children learn from what we do, more than what we say. They absorb everything as they watch us! I have to be careful, definitely! Thanks!!
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