“But dad, you said ______”
There were a lot of things I’d planned on about having children. One of the things I don’t remember thinking much about, was the fact that any word I speak out loud around them, if needed, will find its way back to me. Thankfully I never really picked up the desire to talk “like a sailor”. (not to offend any sailors that may stumble upon my blog) So I don’t worry about my kids going around saying PG-13 words to other kids. (unless they hear them from other kids….has happened.) But once in a while I do say something my kids want to hear, simply to get them to do what I’m asking. When they were younger, this was no big deal. Give them a handful of KIX, and they’re golden. But now, they are lightning fast to catch me when my words and my actions are not in line. And yes…once or twice my daughter has caught me throwing a wrapper from our van onto the parking lot and immediately yelled, “DAD!!! Did you just litter!??” I shamefully pick it up, and thank her for reminding her forgetful father. She smiles, and buckles up.
But this is good. It’s also a great reminder, that we need friends who will be this in our lives. There are many scriptures that talk about encouraging one another to do good. Many also talk about “correcting/restoring” a brother/sister who has made a wrong choice. Even the verses that are usually used to “get someone off our back”, aren’t always taken for face value:
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:3-5
What usually gets tossed aside, is that final bit “then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” It’s important for us to have people in our lives who will help us, when our words do not match up to our actions. To meet regularly with someone with whom we share life with, and open ourselves up to correction from. Do you have someone like that in your life? It can definitely be your spouse, but I would even recommend a friend of the same gender – so that you can be held accountable for how your doing with your marriage as well. We could all use someone who spots the specks….with love, of course. 🙂
words from wick 