Great fathers are the stuff of legends. Today, more than ever, great fathers are rare. There are many men who bear the title but fewer and fewer are really worthy of being called a legend. At the same time, it seems that many men want to be good fathers but have never learned how. Perhaps they never had an example of a good father in their own lives. We offer some ideas that can take a common man and put him on the road to greatness.
Legendary Fathers are Godly Men
The heroic knights of old were subservient to their king. The vaunted Samurai of the ancient Japanese empires were servants to wealthy landholders and to the Emperor. Today, the very best fathers are men who serve the risen Christ constantly.
Twice, Paul said that “at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow” (Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:10). The Christian father demonstrates his loyalty to Jesus through his daily actions. He shows his love for Christ by placing his love for Him even before that of his family. There is nothing above his commitment to God (Luke 12:46; Matthew 6:33).
When a truly legendary father dies, his children will first declare that he was a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). Do you wish to be a legend? Serve God first.
Legendary Fathers Invest Time in their Children
Much has been said about the difference between quality of time and quantity of time as if you cannot have both. Probably, this idea arose as an excuse for men who spend too much time on the job. The truth is that you can be a legendary father or a legendary worker but you cannot be both. Something must come first (Matthew 6:24).
Because our success in our culture is predicated upon the accumulation of wealth and tangible property, we no longer value as much the priceless accumulation of memories and shared time. What a shame. Understand, reader, wealth is nice but it is not necessary. Paul wrote,
But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs (1 Timothy 6:6-10).
To invest hours in your children is far superior to investing dollars. The payout is much greater.
Become a legend to your children, Fathers. They need real heroes that can be seen, touched and talked to.
Bryant Evans may be reached at bryant at bryantevans.com. You can follow Bryant on Twitter @jbevans
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