Influencing lives?

My son Ladi is three years plus now, but even before this age his father’s influence on him was so great that, he always wants to do exactly what dad is doing, has done or did. An example of this is his refusal to wear shorts, he want to be in trousers at all times. I find this hard to understand until one day a friend I discussed this with told me that he did not want to wear short/knickers because he has never seen the dad go on an outing with a short. Quite amazing!

Same goes for some of us, we are so influenced by others that we want to be like them in all ways, we want what others have, even try harder to be what others are. It is good to be influenced by other people, but the great question is “do you influence others?”

Does our lives touch others in unforgettable ways?

Do people want to act, talk, dress, walk and live our lives?

How do we influence our young children at home?

My life is an example, every time I get angry in the presence of my children (not at them), they go very quiet and I will know that I have made an impression on them, A WRONG IMPRESSION AT THAT! Something happened this morning, and my son asked, “Mummy, why were you shouting and talking so much?” I felt so ashamed, and I started wondering the kind of influence I am having on that impressionable young mind by getting unnecessarily annoyed even though the anger was more than justified!

INFLUENCE! Children who see physical violence between their parents are more likely to abuse their own spouses after they marry and if they were also hit by their parents as teenagers, they are more likely to abuse their spouses.

Remember that how we live our lives matters so much to God and others around us. May God teach us to be more like him!