Agents of Prophecy
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
Colossians 3:21
Dell was one of the smartest kids in school. He was also one of the most under-achieving freshmen Mr. Holman ever taught. Finding ways to engage the young man had proven a challenge.
Mr. Holman talked to Dell’s other teachers and some of his friends, intending to discover why someone so bright seemed to care so little about his future. What he discovered was disturbing. Dell’s father was a bully. Although he never touched Dell physically, he broke his spirit mentally and emotionally, spewing venomous curses at him, “You’re so stupid! You can’t even tell the difference between a spark plug and a fuel injector! What the hell is wrong with you?! You’ll never be a mechanic! You’re worthless!”
Knowing otherwise, Mr. Holman determined to show Dell who he really was. Over time, he was able to penetrate Dell’s protective barriers. Once inside, he spoke words of truth; words to edify and nurture; words of encouragement and support. And by his senior year, Dell’s poor self-image had been replaced by one of hope-filled anticipation. His grades mirrored his intellect, and he began setting goals for the future.
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Day in and day out the man who should have been encouraging Dell was beating him down. And Dell, instead of looking toward a successful future in a career he could find pleasure and happiness in, aspired only to survive and escape his father’s harsh treatment.
We are agents of prophecy. Our children hear everything we say. Not only do our words speak loud and clear, our body language and voice inflection have much to say as well. Make no mistake…they will become who we tell them they are.
Fathers, don’t make the mistake of telling your daughter, “Go change your clothes, you look like a whore!” or she just might turn to the streets for a father’s love.
Our kids go from stroller to SUV in less time than it takes to blink. We have only a small window of influence. We should look for every opportunity to invest wisely.
Sometime today, tell your children how smart they are, and how blessed you are to have them.
Prayer
“Holy Spirit, give me words of encouragement to speak over my children; help me build their self-esteem. And hold my tongue in times of frustration to keep me from discouraging them. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”
