2 Kings 16:20
"And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead."
One of the common excuses I hear of why children do wrong is their background. I am not going to sit here and say that background doesn't influence a person's decisions, but I am going to say that everyone has a choice of what they become. Anyone can do right if they choose to do so.
I grew up in a preacher's home. In my travels I often hear of preacher's children who have gone the wrong way in life. The excuses I hear as to why they did wrong are amazing. Every time I talk to someone who grew up in a preacher's home and listen to their excuses, I tell them everything I went through, and then ask them if they really want to use excuses. I believe it's not because their father was a pastor that they turned out wrong, I believe it's because they chose to turn out wrong.
On the other hand, I am amazed when I hear about the upbringing of people who turned out right. Often I hear of people whose home life was not good. They tell me their stories, and I sit in amazement that they are serving the LORD. Yet, I watch adults who grew up in a Christian home whose lives are anything but Christian. What's the difference? The difference is in the choices they made.
Hezekiah did not grow up in a good Christian home. His father was anything but a Christian. Hezekiah's father followed the practices of the heathen. He made his children pass through the fire. He lived a heathenistic lifestyle. He practiced idolatry. He even burnt sacrifices to the heathen gods. Yet, Hezekiah was one of the greatest kings who sat on the throne of Israel. Hezekiah had every excuse not to do right because of his home life. Yet, he did right!
What was the secret that made Hezekiah turn out right? The secret was whom he chose to model his life after. 2 Kings 18:3 says about Hezekiah, "And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did." Notice, he chose to model his life after David, and not after his heathen father. Hezekiah was wise enough to understand that though he did not have a choice in which home he was reared in, he did have a choice in choosing a right role model to follow. His parents certainly tried to force him to do wrong, but they couldn't force him not to choose the right role model.
This is the greatest secret in doing right. It doesn't matter what your background is, in which neighborhood you grew up, or who your parents are, what matters is the role models you choose to copy. If you choose the right role models, you have a better chance of doing right. Just because everyone around you may have the wrong role models doesn't mean you can't choose the right ones. Doing right is a choice, and part of that choice is having the right role models.
Let me ask you, who are your role models? Are your role models pointing you in the right direction? Does their life magnify Christ? Your role models will determine what you become. You must be wise in whom you choose to follow.
Furthermore, parents, you need to be a good role model for their children. Help them to have a easier time in choosing the right role models by doing right at home. You should also point your children to the right role models. Your influence on their life is great, and showing them who the right role models are will greatly influence their future.
Always remember you can do right. No matter how you were reared and what has happened to you, you can do right. The greatest influence in doing right is your role models, so choose them wisely!