I want you to think back about when you first became aChristian or when you made a major life decision? Who did you go to seek advice about thisdecision? Whose example made youconsider this change?
9 times out of 10, we follow the examples and life decisions of people we respect. A Parent, aCoach, a Leader or a Friend. Someoneheld influence over us and we trusted their example and respected their character. Now let me ask you this? Are you being that person for someone else?
I’m sitting here in another foreign country, far from myfamily during the Holidays and reading a book about one of the most successfulfootball coaches of all time. His walkwith Christ began when he noticed men that he respected had changed their lives inmajor ways by coming to Christ. The funny thing is, thepeople who set this example had no idea that someone was watching them ormaking decisions based on their example.
Now let me tie this in with Dante’s posts on Purity.
Have you ever wondered why guys like Tiger Woods or KobeBryant cheat on their wives? They havemoney, fame, and some really beautiful wives and then they throw it all awayfor one night of passion or to put another notch in their count of women theyhave been with? We look at theseexamples and say “What an idiot, he had it all and throw it all away!”
I guarantee, at this very moment, someone is looking at your life and your familyand wishing they had what you had.
This realization really hit me a few years ago when a friendof mine stated this to me. My friend just wanted to have a loving wife and family but he was sadly going through his second divorce. Both times, his wives had cheated on him. He didn’t come out and say it directly, butin a moment of emotion he asked me how I did it with my family. He had been watching.
Over the last two years, wives have asked my wife if I wouldtalk to their husbands or if being around me could somehow rub off on theirhusbands. I was dumbfounded.
To me there is an unwritten guy code and unless I am a very close accountability friend; I wouldn’t go and tell some guy that his marriageis screwed up. However, my example wasspeaking volumes and other people had been watching.
Because of my ignorance and selfishness, I almost lost mybeautiful wife and children once. Once Ialmost lost them, the realization hit me of what I was really losing. I had the most beautiful woman that other guysenvied and two beautiful children,one boy and one girl. People close to mewere saying “What an idiot, he had it all and throw it all away!” Does this sound familiar? Luckily, God intervened and brought me closeto the edge but didn’t let me fall over it. I made a vow to God and my wife that I would become, not what societysaid was a good husband, but what my wife and children deserved.
What does your wife and children deserve?
If there are any questions read - Ephesians 5: 25-33
We are setting the example everyday by what we do, what wesay, and the lives we lead. Theslightest flirtation with a co-worker or other woman should never rear its uglyhead when we are on duty. Our wordsshould uplift and edify others. Our workethic should be superior. We should wearour Character and Integrity on our sleeves for everyone to see because whetherwe like it or not, people are watching. Someone is watching you every day and wondering if this Christianitything is really worth it.
Are we perfect? Hardly. Do we make mistakes? Always. But as Russell Crow stated in Gladiator “Whatwe do in life, echoes in eternity.”
I choose to be the husband and father my wife and childrendeserve.