Radical Wisdom: A 7-Day Journey For FathersSample

What Will Your Next-Generation Legacy Be?

“What a dad pursues with fervor, his kids will pursue in moderation. What a dad pursues in moderation, his children will ignore . . . and you won’t know how you did until you see what your grandchildren do!”

When I first heard a speaker say this, I bristled. It can’t be true, not always. But then he used countless examples from Scripture.

Abraham. Sold out. Obedient. Invented the word faith. Isaac his son? Definitely a godly man, but there was this thing with going against God’s instructions and heading down to Egypt. And then there was that time he passed off his wife as his sister, a sin his father modeled for him years before.

Does the speaker’s theory hold up when you check out their children’s children?

Isaac’s kids, Jacob and Esau were godly. But what about the deception Jacob used to gain the birthright? And Esau’s impulsiveness to swap it for a bowl of stew?

The point is that we dads must pursue God with fervor, not mediocrity. Our kids are subconsciously deciding how important their faith will be to them by watching how important our faith is to us.

Don’t take any chances. Go all-in. Make the decision to be a public, sold out, no-holes-barred, praying, tithing, loving, grace-filled follower of Jesus.

You can know, at least from this day forward, that you were fervent in your pursuit of God. Let no one call you moderate ever again.

And maybe your grandchildren will have a chance!

Question: Would your kids describe you as fervent in your love for Jesus?