Your character is the most powerful tool you have to influence others. With it, you can do great good or harm to those within your circle of influence.
Let that sink in for a moment. If you don’t believe what I’m saying just think about how you are affected daily by those who have influence in your life. Who are those people whose character affects your life; your spouse, your children, your minister, your doctors, and, of course, politicians at local, state, and national levels. Got your attention now?
Our character is who we are; our values and how we live them out. It involves a belief system about our meaning and purpose in life and how we express those beliefs by the way we relate to God and how we treat ourselves and others. Here is an article on our circle of influence I think you will find interesting.https://www.shadyoakprimary.com/who-is-in-your-circle-of-influence-and-why-this-is-important/
Each of us has a ” circle of influence.” At the center of that circle are those people who are most important to us. The center may include our spouse, children, parents, grandparents, and very close friends. As the circle broadens or spreads out, we have work associates, neighbors, etc. The closeness or importance of people to us diminishes as the circle continues to spread. The circle involves those closest to us and reaches out to some unknown person we may run into at the bank or post office. However, we can influence someone we do not know by simply opening a door or speaking to them.
In this blog, I want to call attention to the influence our character can have on children. What I have to say can also be applied to parents, grandparents, teachers, or those who may have close relationships with children in other settings.
For several years, the following words were posted in a prominent place on our refrigerator. They were reminders to me and my wife about the power of our character in the lives of our children.
If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight.
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns
to find love in the world. (Author unknown)
It is difficult to overstate the importance of a parent’s character in a child’s life. Perhaps one of the following ideas will cause you to see your role as you may have never seen it before. You are your child’s MOST INFLUENTIAL TEACHER. You are God’s primary way of teaching him what matters in life. Who you are and what you say and do are important.
You are a MAP MAKER. Your life and character provide your child with direction to the life that lies in front of him.
Your Child’s Most Influential Teacher. I am grateful for the fact that I have had many good teachers in my elementary, high school, college, and graduate school experiences. Some have had a tremendous influence on my life and the shaping of my personality and character. However, I must say that my poorly educated, blue-collar parents have had and continue to have the most dominant influence on my
I am grateful for the fact that I have had many good teachers in my elementary, high school, college, and graduate school experiences. Some have had a tremendous influence on my life and the shaping of my personality and character. However, I must say that my poorly educated, blue-collar parents have had and continue to have the most dominant influence on my life.
Why is that so? Because they laid the foundation of love, support, and encouragement on which the other teachers would build. They allowed me to explore, to think for myself, and to grow into the person God designed me to be. Their love set boundaries that kept me within acceptable limits of behavior. Their character demonstrated their commitment to what was good for me, that was the key to my acceptance of what they were trying to teach me about life.
We are living in crazy times and many seem to think our schools and educators should be in charge of what children learn and how they are supposed to fall in line with “woke” ideology. More than ever, parents need to be proactive in providing the love and support their children need to discern the good and evil that is so prevalent in some educational circles today.
If there’s a child in your circle of influence, you need to seize your opportunities to teach them to revere God and to love himself and others. If you do this, the odds are on your side that your son or daughter will grow up to make you proud. Proverbs 22:6 ” Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
I am grateful for the fact that I have had many good teachers in my elementary, high school, college, and graduate school experiences. Some have had a tremendous influence on my life and the shaping of my personality and character. However, I must say that my poorly educated, blue-collar parents have had and continue to have the most dominant influence on my
You are a Bridge Builder. I believe you, the parent, serve as a bridge, a connecting link to the most significant relationships in his or her life. What am I saying here? Your child is created in the image of God. This means he can relate to God and, at some point, to know God in a personal way through faith. Guess who is the primary source of a young child’s concept and understanding of God.
The parent is the early model of how a son or daughter will emotionally relate to God. Your genuine care and loving guidance and discipline will lay the foundations for your child to respond to Jesus by an act of faith when he is mature enough to do so. Again, the character of my parents was a major influence in my decision to trust Jesus and want to live my life for Him.
For an in-depth look at this important aspect of your influence as a parent, I invite you to explore my book Children and the Christian Faith. https://www.cosdavis.com/product/children-and-the-christian-faith/
Your Child’s Map Designer. A map is about destination and direction, how to get from one place to another. The modern form of a map is a GPS, both having to do with following directions to get to the place you want to go. The character of a parent can have a tremendous influence on what a child wants to do with his life. How is that so? Children tend to follow the model, accept the values of their parents and buy into what they see as important to their mom or dad.
If you, the parent, accept the teachings of Jesus and attempt to apply them to your life, your child will tend to see that there is something beyond you, some values that guide who you are. If you live with the conviction that life has an ultimate purpose, an eternal significance, you are demonstrating a direction you want your child to go. Many times I have raised the question with parents, “If you don’t understand the real purpose and meaning of life, how are you going to raise your child the right way?” Here’s another book of mine that you may want to take a look at if you don’t know the true purpose of life. Check my website at http://cosdavis.com.