| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “The influence of a mentor” Our Bible verse for today: “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3 (NLT) Our thought for today: “Parents as mentors” There’s a commercial on television from an insurance company which revolves around the idea of “young homeowners who become their parents”. It’s a series of funny skits about young adults who, once they own their own homes, slowly turn into finicky fussbudgets who start acting a lot like their parents. There’s an older gentleman featured in the scenes, sort of a mentor/life-coach, who tries to help the young homeowners avoid some of the worst parent-like tendencies. The spots are funny but also fitting – there’s a good bit of truth to them. It’s amazing how much we inherit from our parents. I don’t just mean genetically, although that is huge. I’m talking about in terms of behaviors, mannerisms, and personality traits. We often hear it said, “He is his father’s son”, or, “She’s her mother’s daughter”. For instance, many people are amazed at how much Franklin Graham looks, sounds, and acts like his father Billy Graham. Children pick up a lot from their parents over their years of growing up. In adulthood children often display many of the same character and personality traits they learned from their parents, unless the adult child is intentional about not doing so. As depicted in that television commercial, those tendencies will naturally come out unless they are intercepted and dealt with. Parents are our first and most influential mentors. That can be good or bad, depending on the parent. The influence of a parent penetrates deep into the psyche of a child and it forms that child’s personality and self-image. For many children that’s a good thing and will bear fruit for life. For others, it’s an awful experience and that person may spend the rest of his or her life trying to get over their childhood. It’s impossible to overstate the deep and profound influence a parent has on a child and therefore, it’s essential for parents to remember that their children are a gift to them from God (Psalm 127:3). God has entrusted those precious souls into our care and it’s up to us to raise them well. Tomorrow we’ll think a little more about the parent/child mentor/influencing relationship. But for today, if you have children in the home, I encourage you to go hug them and tell them how much you love them and how special they are. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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