It isn't always easy to do the right thing. My Dad used to say, "the right thing to do is the right thing to do, even if you are the only one doing it. And, the wrong thing to do, is the wrong thing to do, even if everyone is doing it."
It takes some guts to do the right thing when life's pressures would lead you to do something else. We always regret mistakes...... make the right choices. you'll be glad that you did.
It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.
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2 comments:
Jeff,
Great words of wisdom. My dad said the same thing to me. The question is do we teach it or just preach it. I think so much of how we approach life and decisions over right and wrong are based on what we learned from our parents. Little things are just as important as big things in my book. (The little things lead to bigger things, don’t they?) Isn’t rule bending really just a way to rationalize doing what is wrong and not right. As adults, how often do we rationalize our actions and end up not doing the right thing?
When our kids see us “bending the rules” by getting them into a movie at a price below their age, or a haircut, or allowing them to sneak into a pool or ballpark to avoid paying the fee, letting them shoot off fireworks on days not permitted…..etc. then what have we taught them? You’re only “doing the wrong thing” if you don’t get caught. We need to be the rule enforcers, don’t we? Where do we draw the line? Do we get to move the line? Getting away with something is bad enough, but teaching it or permitting it to happen does not make sense and it makes hypocrites of us. It’s not that I don’t believe rules and laws should sometimes be challenged, but I don’t believe we should consciously teach or encourage “doing the wrong thing”. Our kids see our actions and if they honor us and respect us, as we expect them to do, then why wouldn’t they also learn and respect all of the not so good things we are teaching them, too. Does it only become important when they get caught stealing candy from the QT, cheating at school, drinking underage, etc…….?
BTW: I’m not preaching….I am sharing. I’m not innocent….I am guilty. I need to constantly strive to do the right thing……it is easy to fall short of that. So I am working towards removing the need to rationalize and hopefully becoming …a better teacher…a better parent... a better example.
Peace,
Lion’s Den Man
Lion's Den Man,
I SOOOO appreciate your thoughts.
Our children will only learn what they see. Jeff spoke about this a few weeks back when he taught from Matthew 18:1-9.
"But if anyone causes (or teaches) one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck".
Our choices and actions have eternal ramifications through our children.
When we teach your children to "do the right thing because it is the right thing to do", we are teaching discernment.
I also desire to be a better teacher, a better parent...a better example.
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