David Beckham expressed surprise recently when his 10 year old son asked if he could have a tattoo. With two fully tattooed arms himself that’s not really surprising! The power of example is strong, and as the old saying goes, “children hear what you say, but believe what you do”, a sobering thought for parents!
I lived abroad, in a country where the Highway Code existed but was definitely not adhered to. The first time I saw a car take a shortcut the wrong way around a roundabout, I was shocked. Soon realising this was common practice, I got used to it. One day I approached a roundabout, it was quiet, and the thought entered my head to take the shortcut and go the wrong way. Not long ago that had been inconceivable to me but the power of example had exerted its force over me and was now influencing my behaviour!
All of us need role models. For any person to be an example worth following, what they say and what they do need to match up. Jesus had some strong words for religious leaders who were good at telling people what to do, but not so good at actually doing it. Jesus set the ultimate example, so often his actions spoke much louder than His words, the final expression of this being his willingness to lay down His own life on our behalf, so that death no longer had any power over us. Try reading what Jesus actually said and did whilst on earth, that’s an example worth following!
Claire Dallas
King’s Lynn Christian Fellowship