Like My Daddy?

My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.(John 17:15-17)

What a beautiful prayer: from a Father to a son; from a grandparent for his young grandchildren; even from a teacher toward his or her most challenged students!

Imagine Christ speaking intimately with the Father concerning the ones He will be leaving behind, even sending out. He was asking for strength, protection and confidence for these struggling believers. He had given them all He could and was about to leave them to go home. It was the WORD of God . . . His TRUTH that would secure them.

We cannot ask that our children be isolated from the world. We want them to impact the world for Christ! We want them to go through Samaria, not around it! As frightening as that may be, it is the TRUTH and His WORD that will ultimately get them by . . . along with the visual and verbal examples we leave them.

Yes our words impact the children we have around us. More importantly, it is our example! What do we do when pushed to the edge? How do we react to challenges? To Whom do we turn? Where do we run? What do we say? Do our actions back up our words?

Jesus prayed for you and me and then acted on God's will in His power. What do our children see and hear in us?