Becoming Your Parents

This is something we all do - even if we try not to do it. You will become something of your parents, too - even if you try not to, even if you really focus on trying not to.

I first realized this fact of human nature when I was at Bible college at age 17. The assistant dean of women discussed it in a talk to a bunch of us girls.

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). You are what you think. So if you spend a lot of time thinking about those qualities you dislike the most about your parents, then those are the very qualities you will in some way imitate in your own life.

On the other hand . . .

If you can bring yourself to truly forgive your parents (and I'm not talking about merely saying some words here, but the tough matter of heart) and spend your time thinking on what you like best about them, then you will grow into your parents' better qualities.I say you will grow into them because they are obviously much older than you and will always remain so, and therefore you can never hope to catch up until you are old - and maybe not even then!

So, the question I know you may be asking is this: have I applied this lesson that I presume, oh so rambunctiously, to teach you? I believe I have applied this lesson, but I'm not hardly saying that I am a perfect paragon of all my parents' good qualities! I am saying that I used to be a little bitter about some stuff (I honestly can't remember what), but now I'm only grateful and seeking to grow into those good qualities.

Allow me to add here that your parents are human, and so of course they both have bad qualities as well as good qualities. In fairness, you cannot argue this point unless you are okay with people saying YOU lack one or the other. So let go of the anger, and think about the positive. You'll be happier! :)