Fathers and Children

Proverbs 17:6 says "the glory of children is their father".

Think on that!

I had just been thinking about all the men I have heard or read about in recent days who have had moral failings and have either left their families or who continue to make a mess of things. All of these men, some in politics and some in ministry, have families. Wives and children. Where is the glory for these children?

If I was a man, this alone would give me great pause to consider what I wanted in life. Is it better to have the trappings of "success" or to bring glory to your children? At the end of life, would your rather your children say "he was a great success" or to say "he was a great father"? What inheritance are you leaving for them?

One of the men who has been in the public eye for his failures said that his celebrity had caused him to become egocentric (his word) and that he didn't think the rules of right and wrong applied to him, that he wouldn't get caught. I was amazed at the candor of the statement. It is quite a truth to realize about ourselves: the more centered we are on ourselves, the less we see how our actions affect others, the more calloused we become to the consequences.

In stark contrast, we can see the way our Heavenly Father is and live by His example as One who "is a glory to His children". He marks our lives with glory, with blessing, with honor, with all of His goodness because He is a good Father.

That's a lot to live up to. Perhaps fathers can simply begin with the desire to live their lives in such a way as to bring glory to their children. Sounds like a good start to me. And may every father know that you are not alone in this, but God, in all His power, might, and goodness, is with you. God bless you!