Parents—Set a Good Example for Your Children
1 God’s Word tells us that “the father [and the mother] of a righteous one will without fail be joyful.” (Prov. 23:24, 25) What a blessing for parents who have set a good example for their offspring! A member of a Branch Committee said of his parents: “The truth was their whole life, and I wanted to make it my whole life too.” What should children see in their parents?
2 Good Manners and Deep Respect: It is the parents’ responsibility to instill wholesome traits in their children. Good manners are learned, not simply by verbal instruction, but by observation and imitation. Therefore, what manners do you display? Do your children hear you say “excuse me,” “please,” and “thank you”? In the family, do you treat one another with deep respect? Do you pay attention when others talk? Do you listen when your children speak to you? Are these good traits displayed both at the Kingdom Hall and in the privacy of the home?
3 Strong Spirituality and Zealous Activity: A brother who has spent more than 50 years in full-time service recalls: “My mother and father were a wonderful example in their appreciation for meetings and in their zeal for the ministry.” How do you demonstrate to your children that you are concerned about maintaining the spirituality of those in your household? Do you consider the daily text together? Do you have a regular family study? Do your children see you reading the Bible and the Society’s publications? What do they hear when you pray on behalf of the family? Do you engage in upbuilding spiritual conversation with your children, discussing positive things about the truth and the congregation? Are you eager to attend all the meetings and to share in the field ministry as a family?
4 Parents, reflect on the example you are setting for your children. Make it an excellent one, and they will treasure it all their lives. A traveling overseer’s wife, now in her 70’s, said: “I am still benefiting from the good example of my loving Christian parents. And it is my earnest prayer that I will prove my full appreciation for this heritage by using it properly through all the ages to come.”