Model What You Want to Multiply
Young people learn from what we teach, but they also learn from what we repeatedly model.
GFG PARENTS & MENTORS BLOG SERIES
Joseph A. Mayaki
10/5/20262 min read
Young people learn from what we teach, but they also learn from what we repeatedly model. A parent may teach prayer, but a child notices whether prayer is practised. A mentor may teach integrity, but a mentee notices whether truth is honored. A youth leader may preach humility, but young people notice whether pride rules the leader’s attitude.
Example is powerful.
Paul said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). This is a serious statement. Paul understood that leadership includes a visible pattern. He did not merely say, “Listen to what I say.” He said, in effect, “Watch how I follow Christ.”
Parents and mentors must ask: What am I modeling? Do the young people around me see reverence for God, or only religious language? Do they see discipline, or only demands? Do they see kindness, or only correction? Do they see apology when I am wrong, or only authority when they are wrong?
This does not mean adults must pretend to be perfect. In fact, honest humility can become a powerful example. When a parent apologizes sincerely, a child learns that authority does not cancel accountability. When a mentor admits a mistake, a mentee learns that growth requires truthfulness. When an adult returns to God after weakness, young people learn that repentance is part of the Christian life.
The danger is hypocrisy. Young people can often detect inconsistency. If we condemn in them what we excuse in ourselves, they may obey outwardly but lose respect inwardly. If we demand devotion while living carelessly, our words may lose weight.
To model well, we must first follow Christ ourselves. The goal is not to create copies of our personality, preferences, or cultural assumptions. The goal is to help young people see a credible example of a life being shaped by God.
We multiply most powerfully what we live consistently.
Scripture Anchor:
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 11:1
Reflection:
What are the young people around me learning from my example, not just my words?
Prayer:
Lord, make my life a faithful example. Help me to model the faith, humility, discipline, and love I desire to see in the next generation. I ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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