Your Impression Matters
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Growing up, my parents, my siblings, and I prayed together every night before bed. After we each said our prayer, we sang a song together. The words are, “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your heart! You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And you shall love your neighbor as you love yourself. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.” Now, having children of my own, I sing this to them after I pray over them every night at bedtime. Tonight while I was singing I considered that my parents did exactly what Deuteronomy 6:5-9 says to do. They left an impression on me that above all else, I should love Yahweh with every part of who I am.
Today I encourage you to leave that same impression on those you have influence on. Whether it be your spouse, your children, your neighbor, your friend, your mom, your dad, or your sibling… impress the love of God on those you have influence over! As I sat tonight and sang my babies the song my parents sang to me growing up I realized that I am a testament of what it means to influence those around you to truly love God. Leave that kind of impression today!