Daily Devotions
The Power of a Parent's Example
Reading for April 23rd: 2 Kings 14-16
In the second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign… And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done.
2 Kings 14:1, 3
Did you know it is highly unlikely that your kids will be more righteous than you? Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in. Is that a little disturbing to you?
Joash was a good father. He was judged as being a righteous king (2 Kings 12:2). His son, Joahaz, walked in his father’s footsteps and was also judged as righteous. However, Joahaz did not do what was right as David had done. He only did as well as his father did.
If you are a parent, the fact that you’re reading this devotion means you are probably a concerned parent. You’re interested in the spiritual well-being of your kids. You want them to grow up to become Christians and follow Jesus.
But the fact is, our kids are going to follow Jesus only as much as we follow Jesus. Obviously, there are wonderful exceptions to this rule. Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, was a wicked king, and yet Hezekiah was arguably one of the best kings in Judah (2 Kings 16:1-4; 18:1-3; see also Josiah). But for every Hezekiah and Josiah’s in the story of the kings, there are a lot more kings like Joash. Children tend to follow (and are limited by) their parent’s example.
Father, give us a sense of urgency to use the days and the moments we have with our children to impress upon their minds the importance of serving you with all our hearts. Let us lead by our words and our deeds.
