by Darlene Sala
Steve Maxwell tells that in the process of moving his family to a new home, they stopped at a restaurant to eat. When the waiter came to take their order, Nathan, their eldest son, spoke up. He told the waiter that they would be asking the Lord to bless their food in a few minutes, and was there anything they might pray for him about. The waiter was a bit taken aback, but he recovered and then said that his girlfriend’s father was in the hospital with a serious heart problem, and they would appreciate prayer for him. The waiter was clearly moved and grateful.
Steve told his son Nathan how thankful he was for his example, and that he was looking forward to asking others this same question in the future. Nathan explained that he has been with someone else who had done this, and he decided he would do it himself. Someone had set an example for Nathan, and Nathan learned from the example he saw.
The power of example! It is passed from person to person to person. You never know who is watching you. Whether you realize it or not, you are mentoring people—by your life, for some of the finest teaching is done not with words but by example.
You may never have heard of kings by the name of Amaziah and Joash, but we can learn something from them. Scripture says Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord… In everything he followed the example of his father Joash” (2 Kings 14:3). So, Joash set the example, and his son Amaziah followed in his footsteps.
When you tell your kids that you love them, you are teaching that expressing love in words is important to those they care about. When you are patient with people who are disabled, you are teaching by example that everyone has value in God’s sight.
Be encouraged—people do notice what you do, and your example shapes their lives.
*original post at: <https://www.guidelines.org/commentary/the-power-of-example/>
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