Am I parenting for image or integrity? That is a question we can only answer honestly ourselves.
Integrity is “the quality of always behaving according to the moral principles that you believe in”
Image is “others opinion of something or someone”
Integrity is who we are through and through, image is who others perceive us to be.
It is like the difference between getting fit to be an athlete or to get ripped. Being an athlete is a lifestyle, not just a workout routine. Getting ripped is a goal in and of itself; it has no benefit other than to show off to others.
Image has such a strong emphasis these days that as parents we can get pulled into focusing on polishing out child’s gifts over their character.
As we hold that newborn in our arms, we sincerely commit to raising them to love the Lord with their whole hearts. We aren’t convicted to spend hours transporting them for sport to sport or lesson to lesson. As we rock that little gift from God we see their potential to be warriors for the Lord and desire unashamedly to guide them to that goal. Yet, as the years pass, we find ourselves wanting to help them be better than the rest of the children their age. Our eternal perspective becomes tainted by the immediate image.
Take a minute to honestly answer the question, “Am I parenting for image or integrity?”
Lord, renew in me a right spirit, Your Spirit of living with integrity. Strengthen me to cast off any distracting pursuits of image and replace them with the initial desire to raise warriors for You! Amen.