While I do not express it verbally, I feel like I am constantly sending the message of “do as I say, not as I do.” And to be honest, I am not totally okay with that. Now, I’m not talking about me telling my son not to yell in the house while I am screaming at the basketball players on the television. I’m talking about mistakes I have made in the past. I’m talking about things I did before I was ready to set an example. If I really want my children to be better than me, I have to teach them to be better. In some circumstances, my words are all I have to influence them.
Luckily, God does not send the same mixed signals to us. Sure, He provides direction through His Word and tells us how we should live. But He didn’t stop there. God came to earth wrapped in flesh to show us how to live. He provided the perfect example, the ideal blueprint for how to overcome temptation, how to love people, how to use our resources for His glory, and how to be utterly, completely selfless.
Instead of saying, “do as I say, not as I do,” God says “do as I say, just like this.” He even set the perfect example for how to be a good example.
How has God’s example impacted your life lately?