Have you ever stopped to think about the footprints you leave wherever you go? Some are clearly visible, while others may go unnoticed. But whether we realize it or not, we are constantly leaving footprints behind. Sometimes those footprints are ignored, but often they are followed.
I remember walking along the beach with my father when I was a young boy. As I followed behind him, I would try to place my feet in the footprints he left in the sand. I wanted to walk just like Dad. In my young mind, following his footprints was somehow a way of being like him.
Years later, I found myself on the other side of that picture.
I remember mowing the lawn when one of my sons was very young. I had bought him a little plastic push lawnmower. Whenever I went outside to mow, he would pull his mower out of the garage and follow me back and forth across the lawn. He wanted to do what Daddy was doing.
If I took out my tools to work on something, he had to have his tools out too. He wanted to be just like Dad.
How many times have you said something, only to hear those same words coming out of your child’s mouth sometime later?
I was always pleased when I saw my good character traits reflected in my children. But I must admit, it was sometimes painful when I recognized my bad habits or attitudes showing up in their lives. It was a reminder that they were following my footprints, both the good ones and the bad.
The same is true in our Christian walk.
As Christians, we are constantly leaving footprints for others to follow. Have you ever noticed how a younger Christian will begin using certain expressions or phrases they have heard from someone they respect? Sometimes we even hear the same words and expressions repeated in their prayers.
We naturally tend to imitate those we admire. Unfortunately, the habits we pick up from others are not always good ones.
So here is a question worth considering: What kind of footprints are we leaving for those who follow us?
Whether we realize it or not, we influence the people around us. And the greater our position of responsibility, the greater that influence may be. As parents, grandparents, pastors, elders, deacons, employers, or simply brothers and sisters in Christ, our words and actions can have a lasting effect on others.
Understanding this should cause us to think seriously about the example we are setting.
The apostle Paul certainly understood this responsibility. Listen to what he wrote to the Philippian church:
Philippians 4:8–9 (ESV)
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Think about what Paul is saying. He is encouraging these believers not only to listen to what he teaches but also to follow the example of what they have seen in his life. I used these verses when I spoke at my father’s funeral because he was that kind of example for me.
That brings us to another important question.
Are we willing to accept that same responsibility?
Do we realize that our words, attitudes, and actions are being observed by others? Whether we intend it or not, someone may be following our example. The question is whether our influence is leading them closer to the Lord or away from Him.
Let me give you a personal example.
Over the years, I have had a tendency to have a rather heavy foot when driving. Unfortunately, that habit was visible to those riding in the car with me.
My children have asked me more than once, “Daddy, how fast are you going?”
When I answered honestly, it wasn’t unusual to hear, “But Daddy, isn’t the speed limit 55?”
Now I had a choice.
I could ignore the question, or I could admit that the speed limit was 55 and continue driving at 70. Or I could do what I knew was right and slow down.
Ouch!
It’s amazing how the Lord can use a child’s simple question to remind us of something we already know.
That brings to mind the warning Jesus gave in Matthew 18:5–6: “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Those are serious words.
Jesus was speaking about the responsibility we have toward those who believe in Him, especially those who are young or vulnerable in their faith. Our example matters, and we should never take lightly the possibility of leading someone in the wrong direction.
Throughout Scripture, we are encouraged to live lives of obedience, not only to God’s commands but also to the laws of the land. When we knowingly disregard what is right, we fail to demonstrate the love and obedience that should characterize our relationship with God and with our neighbors.
Obedience is a matter of choice, but more importantly, it is a matter of love.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 4:2 (NIV): “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”
Years ago, John Mohr wrote a beautiful song titled Find Us Faithful. One line has always stood out to me:
“O may all who come behind us find us faithful.”
What a wonderful prayer!
One day, each of us will leave our final footprints on this earth. But the influence of our lives may continue long after we are gone.
The question is not whether we will leave footprints. We will.
The question is where those footprints will lead the people who follow us to Jesus.
Will they lead our children, grandchildren, friends, and fellow believers closer to Jesus Christ?
Will those who follow us find an example of faithfulness, obedience, and love for the Lord?
It’s my prayer that when others look at the footprints we have left behind, they will find a path that leads them closer to Jesus.
May all who come behind us find us faithful.
In Christ,
David “PK” VanderKlay
