Models Or Critics?

Models or Critics?

Hall of Fame coach John Wooden once said, “Young people need models, not critics.” If we believe that the coming generation is to have success, we might sit up and listen to Coach Wooden.

In the arts or in sports, the critics are a dime a dozen. They get paid to diagnose what is wrong and point it out. Critics have no responsibility to fix the problem or to even care why a problem exists in the first place.

When it comes to the next generation of our youth, it is easy to be a critic. Their habitual use of technology, the way they wear their clothes, the music they listen to, and their political ideology can easily make you cynical. But remember, anybody can be a critic.

Models, on the other hand, say, “Hey, kid, look at me. If you follow my lead, you can make something of your life.” Models don’t judge offhand. They draw near. Models don’t discard; they invite you to come close.

In a day and time when nearly 50 percent of the children in America grow up in a one-parent home, there is a desperate need for people who will serve as models for the next generation. This is what Solomon did when he wrote the book of Proverbs to his sons. Proverbs 2:1 declares, “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.” In other words, “Boys, you can look to me, and I will show you how to become a man.”

Why not spend a couple of minutes each day in the book of Proverbs equipping yourself with wisdom? Then choose to model that wisdom and change that day.

My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.

Proverbs 2:1