Have you ever been watching television and heard something that caught your attention? A few days ago I was flipping through channels.  I landed on one channel just as a female character stated, “The fish rots from the head.”  I have a DVR so I pressed the rewind button to make sure I was hearing correctly.  I was intrigued by the line so I continued watching for a minute or two. She was speaking to a male character and went on to explain very pointedly the reason the male characters employees were ‘acting out’ was because they were following his lead.  In other words, his own bad behavior led his employees to believe their own bad behavior (a criminal act, from what I could gather in two minutes) was permissible.  Upon hearing the explanation of that line the wheels in my brain began spinning.  I knew there was something there so I went to the Bible.  I was positive this one-liner was bathed in a biblical principle.  The first thought that came to mind was about David and his sons, Absalom and Amnon.  I went to 2 Samuel 13 and refreshed myself on the story (I encourage you to do the same).  Both Absalom and Amnon were found repeating behaviors they witnessed their own father commit.  It seems their actions could be traced directly back to David’s sinful relationship with Bathsheba.  This one instance found David having a sexual relationship with someone else’s wife, having Bathsheba’s husband murdered to cover up the sin, and more.  Both sons were repeating their father’s bad behavior in one form or another.

Parenthoood is humbling, to say the least. I’m always amazed how I can feel like a successful parent and failure in the span of 60 seconds.  I have learned when I see my children portray bad behavior it’s necessary for me to begin a time of self-reflection before addressing the issue at hand.  7 out of 10 times my children can be found mirroring my bad behavior.  Then it turns into a session of humbling myself and apologizing for my own behavior (and changing it) before addressing and disciplining their actions.  The same can be said of most any setting or situation.  Don’t get me wrong, our choices are just that – our choices.  We have free will.  But there is no excuse for doing things we know are wrong or sinful.  What does the world look like around you?  Are you the boss and you see your employees constantly making bad decisions?  Are you a parent of a child who chooses to be rebellious or act out?  While I don’t blame the inconsistencies of others on whoever is in charge, I do want to challenge you inspect yourself today.  Are you living a blameless life?  “….be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish…” [2 Peter 3:14]

Closing remarks and encouragement: Looking in the mirror isn’t always easy.  When we do find something that needs attention it’s best to address it early.  Slapping a bandaid on something that requires surgery will always do more damage than good.