Love = A Good Example – Lindsay Schmidt
October 5, 2018

Sitting here, thinking about all the people in my life who have been and continue to be an example for me to follow, I am nothing short of grateful. I have been fortunate enough in my lifetime to be surrounded by great people who use wisdom and love to guide their life. I have grown to see that and now try my best to follow in their footsteps. I find myself daily saying to my little four year old son “Cohen, don’t do that, remember, you have to be a good example for your sister.” He is four and my daughter is 10 months going on 2 years! She follows his every move and tries what he tries, goes where he goes. For me, instilling that he is an example for others even at this young age is important. Proverbs 22:6 tells me why we need to start at a young age. It says, train up a child in the way that he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. I want him to know throughout his life that people are watching him. Younger people, older people, people his age.

See, we are all surrounded with people who see us. We are always being watched because people love to people watch. But what happens when a person doesn’t have a good example to follow after? Where does that person learn the ability to be kind? Sadly, there are children out there who do not have parents who love, who take care of their children, who teach them manners and kindness. Those children can sometimes grow up thinking the world is out to get them and it is up to them to protect themselves, to hold up a shield against the world at all times. That is why, it is imperative that we as individuals live our lives with the mindset that we are being an example to someone at all times, so those people in the world who don’t know much about kindness and love can get it from somewhere; from us. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. No, I am not telling you that you must live a perfect life every second of every day. I know that is impossible because none of us are perfect. We will raise our voices, forget to hold the door for the person behind us, we won’t always wear a smile on our faces. That’s okay, it really is. Because being a good example is not all about what we do every second of every day, it is about love. If we love, we will be a good example.

Sadly, we live in a world where getting a video on social media is more important than stopping a terrible thing from happening. I have seen multiple videos that show two people fighting in front of their own children while ten people stand around watching and recording the whole thing. Not one person decides to take away the children, or to try to stop the fight. No, instead they all stand around and watch with their phones pointed at the fight. It hurts my heart. When did we get to the point where getting likes on fb, instagram or youtube was more important than morals and values? Where are the people who dig into their box of examples in their life and pull out the one lesson they learned from a good person who stopped the fight? There are good people everywhere. Though it seems hard to believe sometimes, there truly are more good than bad people in the world. So why does it seem like the opposite is true? People are attracted to another person’s failures; it makes them feel like they are doing pretty good for themselves as long as they are doing better than someone who is really failing at life. Rather than being an example to others and helping a brother or sister up onto their feet, we stand back and let the fall take hold.

God is the biggest and best example for us to look to. John 13:15 says, For I have given you an example, that you should do what I have done to you. The bible is laced all the way through with God being kind, loving, sharing, preaching, giving of all He had. The examples are endless with God. My message to those who feel like they don’t have even one person to look to as a good example, look to God. People fail, God never will. My message to those who do have good example in their lives, look to God first. John 13:35 says, by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Love is the answer to being a good example. If we don’t know how to respond to a situation, or we don’t know how to act, or what to do to be considered a good example for others to look to, always love. If you love, you will do things in love, you will speak in love, act in love and you will always be a good example. God showed us that through the word and continues to show us today. Love will lead us to be examples, the right examples for the world to follow after. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Matthew 5:14).

He gives us Roots so we can Fly. Roots and Wings.

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