August 24: Am I the bad company I do not want my kids to keep?

Job 12:1-15:35

1 Corinthians 15:29-58

Psalm 39:1-13

Proverbs 21:30-31

"Do not be misled: 'bad company corrupts good character'".  

Someone once told me that one's influence on one's children peaks at 9, and falls off sharply from 12 onwards.  We have three children, and remember having been so concerned for our eldest, a daughter, now almost 16, and for the type of friends she would have.  We worried that, however we might try to raise her, she would choose friends who did drugs, or drank, or partied late.  We were so grateful to have hosted three of her closest friends for a week, and confirmed what we had already known - that God had blessed her with wonderful friends - kind, respectful, considerate and responsible, pleasant and industrious and - refreshingly for teenagers - filled with wonder.

While reflecting on this, I realized that, while my influence with my children may fall off, it doesn't go away.  I still have, and will always have, influence on my children's lives.  Which led me to thinking: how good is my company?  How good is my influence?  Do I realize that, when they see me lose my patience and my temper, they think it is acceptable to do so?  Or that when weekends come and I put work ahead of them and their mother, when I put work and wealth ahead of God and family, that they learn this is the right thing to do?  

The thing is, I tell myself, I do all this not because I want to be mean or hurtful, but because I am trying to do what I think is best for them.   I suspect that many of the Corinthians who had formed factions, thereby dividing the church, thought they were doing the right thing as well.  Good intentions, clearly, are not enough.  In our humanity, and failure is inevitable.  How wonderful then that we can cry out, like the psalmist does:

"But now, Lord, what do I look for?

   My hope is in you.

 Save me from all my transgressions...

 Hear my prayer, Lord,

 listen to my cry for help."