I was reading in 3 Nephi 14 today. It's one of my favorite chapters. As I was reading verses 3-5, I was suddenly reading them in a different way than I've ever read them before. I've been thinking about parenting a lot lately, and these verses really stuck out to me. (I replaced "brother" with "child.")
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy [child]’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy [child]: Let me pull the mote out of thine eye—and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast the mote out of thy [child]’s eye.
So many times in parenting, we think it's our job to correct our children's every mistake. However, I'm beginning to see that it's much more important to lead by example - to "first cast the beam out of [my] own eye." They'll learn more by watching me than by listening my words - I've heard that said many times. But it's finally starting to really sink in. Parenting is an inward process. I need to work on making myself a worthy example to follow. Changes will happen faster that way than if I were to tell them what to do all day!
