Mar

5

Our Sons Are Watching!

March 5, 2008 |

There is a song by Phillips, Craig & Dean with a verse something along the lines of . . .

“Lord, I want to be just like you, ’cause he wants to be just like me.”

It’s a song about a father realizing that he needs to be more like Christ and our Father in heaven because his son wants to be just like him.

And all I need to do is watch my 4-year old and know that he does want to be just like me - and it scares the heck out of me.

Today’s gospel (John 5) brings home the point when Jesus teaches that -

Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son cannot do anything on his own,
but only what he sees the Father doing;
for what he does, the Son will do also.

I know my son is watching - he sees what I am doing - what I do, he also will do.  I see it in how he plays, how he battles his temper, how he loves his mother, how he cares for his sister, his fearlessness in some things and his timidity in others.  He insisted that my wife buy him a toy razor so he could shave.  He occasionally will insist that he wears ties.  He pounds away on the keyboard of a dead laptop. 

And better yet, he looks just like me and has my sense of humor. 

But, like any man, I fail - I have faults and weaknesses - I sin.  And I know my son will look at me and repeat my failures, my faults, my weaknesses, my sins - unless, I strengthen my own character, deepen my own faith, correct my own faults, and teach him the difference between right and wrong.  I need to give him a sense of moral certitude and a foundation of masculine confidence.  He can build on my strengths without replicating my weaknesses.

And that’s the case for all of us fathers.  Our sons are looking to us to learn how to be a man.  So, each and every day, we must look through their eyes at who we are and how we act.  Do we want them to become the man we are today?

But, we need not worry about our son’s perception of us if we follow Christ - if we obey our Father in heaven - if we walk the path set before us.  If our sons see a good Christlike person, they will emulate us.  They may see our weaknesses - but it’ s ok for them to understand that even the most Christlike of men can fail.  The important issue is how we deal with our shortcomings.

We also must remember that we cannot be in tune with our sons if we are not with them.  We cannot replace our presence in their lives.  They must not be left to their mothers alone (no matter how great their mothers may be - and I am blessed that my son has a great one).

Let us rise up to the challenge of being like Christ in the eyes of our son.  Let our sons look at us and learn how to be a good and Christlike man.  Let’s ensure that we are their role models.  And no matter what we do, let us always remember that they are watching our every move.  
 


Comments

3 Comments so far

  1. Father Schnippel on March 5, 2008 3:42 pm

    Theophilus,

    A great post, and a real thinker. Boys need role models who stand against the culture and call them to true manhood. Keep up the great work and great to see you last Saturday.

  2. Father Schnippel on March 6, 2008 9:19 am

    Living life by the parables is a great way to teach your children, eh?

    http://fatherschnippel.blogspot.com/2008/03/ive-been-tagged. html

  3. Christian on March 13, 2008 6:29 pm

    Thanks for your Blog ;) God Bless you

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