In a previous article, I brought up the bad habits of laziness, stubbornness, and selfishness. Now, I'm bringing them up again. Why? Well, these are constant, habitual destroyers of focus... or at least they are for my family and me. Oh, and I almost forgot, pride... another very effective demolisher of focus. There may be other focus exterminators as well for you and your family, but these are the ones I can speak with experience about having had and continuing to have a close personal relationship with all of them. If we are frustrated with our children, angry with our husband, exhausted with wife and motherhood, which bad habit was our focus during those times? Were we too lazy to get up and parent our children before a situation got out on our nerves? Were we too stubborn to negotiate? Too selfish to cooperate? Too prideful to ask for help? Hmmm... is anyone besides me feeling uncomfortable?

So... how do we most effectively teach our children to focus? God's plan is obvious and clear. Children were created to learn best from their parents, and learning is most naturally accomplished through example. Ah, there it is... example! If we are lazy, stubborn, selfish, prideful, etc., we are guaranteed the exact same attitudes from our children. If our own focus is off, then off will be our children's focus.

So, where should we be focused? I know, you know, and as children of God we well know exactly where our focus should be... we should be focused on Him! Scripture tells us whether at home or abroad, during day and night, we continuously teach our children in all we say, do, think, and feel. Our children know the meaning of every wink, scowl, nod, and every sigh without us ever saying a word. Likewise, they can easily identify our focus before we ever say a word and, later when our words may sound on target, our children can most certainly see through any futile attempts to feign a God-focus.

Our one and only goal as teaching parents is to train our children to stay completely focused on God's will at all times no matter if they are tired, bored, angry, sad, happy, frustrated, confused, proud, and on and on and on. Will this enormous task be easy? Well, no, and He never said it would be! However, it will be much less complicated if we keep God as the precise and constant center of our own focus regardless of what distractions Satan may present. Once we determine to keep a God-focus, then, and only then, can we effectively teach our children though our example.

The bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths" Proverbs 3:5-6. Within a God-focus, there is no opportunity for bad habits to slither in.

Are you God-focused today? Have you set aside your laziness, stubbornness, selfishness, and pride to focus on Him? Without doubt, the absolute best investment you can ever make in your family is first seeking God wholeheartedly yourself. When you take time to eagerly seek Him first, your children will naturally learn to do the same, and then, and only then will you all be 100% successful!

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Michelle Painter is a wife and best friend to Bobby and a mother to 3 wonderful sons. She is a former Texas public school teacher called by God to home school. She considers home schooling a challenge, a privilege, and an undreamt of blessing. She prays that others may glean encouragement, empowerment, and blessings from what she writes. She would love to hear from you at blessingsundreamtof@yahoo.com.