The FIRM Principle Part 1

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss

 It has always seemed that the older generation is disappointed in the younger.  The younger people do not live up to the expectations and plans of the older generation.  Knowing that they were a disappointment, the younger generation pulls away and rebels against the values and teaching of the older generation only to become the older generation in time and the whole silly thing happens again.  You would think that we would have learned by now that we are all not as different as we think.

 RAISING EXPECTATIONS

The answer is not to drop all expectations and stop teaching our values, it is in fact to raise expectation and be consistent in the teaching of values.  Our children need to know that we expect great things from them.  We do not look at them to fail but to success and come into greatness.  Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry said, “It is only through raising expectations and striving for excellence that our children can reach their full potential.”  Young people must understand that the values their parents live by are godly and strong.  The key of course is that the parents do live by godly and strong values.

 FIRM PRINCIPLE

I love reading a small devotional book put out by RBC Ministries called Our Daily Bread.  One of the writers is Dave Branon who writes a piece on the FIRM Principle.  It was his way to teach children through Familiarity, Interest, Recognition, and Modeling.  Branon said “This follows Moses’ pattern in Deuteronomy 6 of taking every opportunity to teach biblical truths so that children become familiar with them and make them part of their lives.”  I feel this principle is just what we need to help the next generation of Success-Minded People move toward a better world.

OUR VALUES

Someone once asked me if I feared the world that my grandchildren would live in.  I answered no because I believe my grandchildren will create that world.  We have dropped the ball when it comes to our children.  We think that it is wrong to put our values and expectations on them.  They are children!  They have no values of their own.  What we do not teach them someone else will.  I want to know that my children and grandchildren know what it means to be Success-Minded and godly.  Billy Sunday once said “Not to walk in the straight and narrow way yourself, it to give the devil the biggest kind of a chance to get our children.”

 BE THE EXAMPLE

I want to look at this FIRM Principle over the next few days and see how we can apply it to our lives.  Success-Minded People know that they are the example others will follow.  It is not what you say but what you do that counts.  Coach Knute Rockne said “One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it.”  We live in a world of too many teachers and not enough doers.  It is time to make the change and it must start in me and you.

© 2011 John Patrick Hickey