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 his 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 wouldn’t make a bump on a good mechanic’s butt!”
It took awhile, but Mr. Holman showed Dell who he really
was. Over time, Mr. Holman 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been replaced by one of hope-filled anticipation.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.
†
Day in and day out Dell heard he was a failure from the man
who should have been encouraging him. Instead of looking forward to a worthwhile
future, Dell only looked 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. Make no mistake…they will become who we tell them
they are.
They 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.
And, if you tell your daughter, “Go change your clothes, you
look like a whore!” don’t be surprised when she turns to the streets for
acceptance.
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.”
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