Looking for Solid Role Models!

The other day when my son was walking down the sidewalk, hand-in-hand with his two year old daughter, she looked up at him and said, "Daddy, you're my hero!"  Talk about a touching moment!

But that got me thinking. Our kids need role models. And those role models should begin at home. Moms and dads should be role models for their children. So, moms and dads, what kind of role model are you for your children? Can you honestly say that from the deepest places in your heart that you hope your children grow up to be like you?  

Moving beyond the home ... where can we find decent role models?  The most visible class of people in our culture are those with celebrity status (think professional athletes, actors and actresses, musicians, etc.). Although there are some exceptions, the majority of these individuals are not what I would call "solid role models!"  So ... where can we find some solid role models for our kids (and for us adults, too)? How about in the pages of the Bible? 

Consider Joseph. As a young man he found himself experiencing the bitter taste of slavery in a foreign land. This came about as a result of betrayal at the hands of his own brothers! Certainly we would understand if he had chosen to wallow in self-pity as a victim of his circumstances. But no, he rose above all that. He had the moral courage to say "NO!" to the seduction of his master's wife ... not wanting to dishonor either his earthly master or his God (Genesis 39:7-9). He also refused to allow bitterness to take root in his heart. Rather he chose the path of forgiveness when reunited with the brothers who betrayed him (Genesis 50:15-21). Certainly Joseph qualifies as a wonderful role model for us. 

How about David? Here was an individual (who showed how imperfect he was in the account of his sin with Bathsheba as related in 2 Samuel 11) who as a young man showed great courage in his showdown with the Philistine giant, Goliath. When none of the veteran soldiers of King Saul's army was willing to go and face the giant in "winner-takes-all" contest, David went! And he did so because this pagan was dishonoring the name of the God he loved and served (1 Samuel 17:45-47). David fought (in a fight that few gave him ANY hope of winning) because he wanted all to know that God is God and no one else! 

I could go on and list many others (Ruth, Daniel, Esther, Peter, Dorcas and Paul are just a few who come to mind) who, though not perfect, yet made a mark for God. I would encourage you to consider these people and how they lived. Choosing to imitate them will help you become the man or the woman that God is calling you to be!  

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj