The Battle For The ‘Soles’ Of Our Children!

TheDiscipleMD
A famous basketball player once declared that he wasn’t a ‘role model’ and that just because he could dunk a basketball, didn’t mean he should raise anyone’s kids. In a condescending way he declared that fathers needed to take responsibility for that. What he really was saying, in my opinion, was that he wanted to take no responsibility for his actions while basking in the glory and riches that came with his high-profile life. In essence he was saying, “Give me your money, publicity, and glory, but don’t attach any responsibility to it.”

Many fathers are sweating it out at some $15 an hour job trying to put food and clothes on the table for their families. No one is filming them or calling them a hero when they, or their wife, shoulder a 12 hour shift. Their sons and daughters are unaware that their parents have a hard time sleeping at night for worry of their welfare. Ironically it is the name of the athlete branded on the boys high-priced sneakers, not that of the fathers who are the one actually footing the bill. It is the high-profile life of the famous that is being broadcast daily on the television channels for all to see, thus the media has put entertainers, singers, athletes and others above the parents, by showering them with praise and adulation. Simply stated, they are made role models via our society whether we, or they, want it or like it!

This athlete was correct in one way; fathers and mothers should be striving to be the role models for their children. One thing is for sure, if we want the influence of the world to be less, we as parents and grandparents need to spend the time and energy it takes to reduce what we don’t like that is coming into our homes.

Even if our children are full-grown, the ‘Battle of the Role Model’ is still being fiercely fought. As parents perhaps we cannot compete on the world’s stage with these people, however, if we stay close to the teachings of the Savior, with charity unfeigned, I believe that our chances of influencing our children is greatly improved.

While we may never live up to all that we should be, we can let our posterity know that we are trying to model our lives after Jesus Christ. With great faith we can hope that by so doing, that as they grow from child to adult, our children will shed the footwear of the world and put on the shoes of the fisherman.

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