I Kings 15:3 (CEV)

“Abijam did not truly obey the Lord his God as his ancestor David had done. Instead, he was sinful just like his father Rehoboam.”

This verse speaks to me on the importance of a father’s spiritual influence on his children.  We have a great responsibility before God and before our children to live life according to God’s principles.  What we do will have a positive or a negative effect on our descendants.

Throughout the stories of the kings we read that the new kings would follow in the same footsteps as their fathers; most of the time it would get worse and worse as the lineage continued.  What affected the new kings into following the same cycle of sin?  The way their fathers lived.   Their lifestyle had so much power that it produced and engraved in their kid’s spirit the same thing.  We have a greater responsibility than just providing food and shelter for our family.  We are responsible for the spiritual environment in which we raise our children in.

The way we use our words and how we motivate them into becoming great people are our responsibility.  It’s interesting that our children will forget the times we spank them, but will not forget a negative word that we’ve spoken towards them.  I can still remember some things that my parents said to me when I was a child.  But as I grew and my parents changed their mentality, their words started to have more of a positive affect on my life.

What would have happened to the people of Israel if the royal families would have followed God’s Laws?  They would have still been a united nation, but because the decided to follow their sinful nature, God had to bring consequences.  Good fathers will make great children.  If this could continue we can have a positive affect on our society.  It’s no wonder Paul writes in 1 Corinthian 4:15, “Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.” Paul was worried that the Church wasn’t producing fathers to the new believers.  He knew the importance a father can make in a life.  Our kids will follow what we do, not so much what we say.  Our actions speak louder than our words.

We need to consider our ways and see what we are showing our children.  We have to teach them about faith, by living by faith.  We have to show them the power of God by showing them that power.  If we want them to life a powerful Christian life, then we must first live it.

Filed under: Family by Adilson Chacón