Some of us are auditory learners, some visual, but all of us learn by doing. Children are champions at this. They find out about gravity by jumping off the top bunk, about swimming by wading into water over their heads, about cooking by burning themselves on the pan handle, about cleaning by spraying Windex in their eyes, and about flying by leaping off the garage roof.

They also learn by watching us. Whatever we’re doing, they want to do it too, which forces us to screen our behavior through a values-filter. Our firstborn, Nelson, was willing to follow any example.

One warm day I pulled the hose out for his playtime, and our litter of 8 puppies came running. As the driveway puddled with water, they began lapping it up, and I went for my camera. When I returned, though, instead of pix of puppies drinking, I caught this:

Nelson simply watched and then modeled what he’d seen.

More than once I’ve heard a pastor tell his congregation, “All of you are being watched by somebody, so be careful how you act.” Parents feel the burden of this, which is one reason why having children is good for us. We’re forced to clean up our acts.

But kids aren’t the only ones watching. When I was a child we sang this little Sunday school ditty:

• Be careful little hands what you do.
• Be careful little hands what you do;
• For the Father up above is looking down in love,
• So be careful little hands what you do.

That third line is the kicker. Our modeling before others matters, partly because they might copy us, but more importantly because God is watching. Although he doesn’t watch in order to follow our example (yikes!), he does want us to know he’s watching, and Scripture says so. The question then is, does knowing he’s watching make us clean up our acts?

The “Be Careful” chorus has 3 more verses:

• Be careful little eyes what you see… etc.
• Be careful little ears what you hear… etc.
• Be careful little feet where you go… etc.

So, what does it mean to be careful?

Like the song says, we ought not to touch, look, listen, or go, before looking at our Father to see what he’s modeling for us. What example-to-follow is he giving us in each particular situation? The answer is found in the life of Jesus, our perfect model. If we copy him, then our children and others can watch us and imitate what they see, and it’ll work out well.

May we study Jesus and walk in his way, so that when God looks at us, he’ll be pleased with what he sees. I’m not sure where he stands on drinking off a driveway, but it’s probably ok to set that one aside.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)