MONDAY, JUNE 21
The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him!
Proverbs 20:7 (ESV)
THE LEADERSHIP OF A FATHER
(Source unknown) Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory.
Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail.
Build me a son whose heart will be clean, whose goal will be high; a son who will master himself before he seeks to master other men; one who will learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; one who will reach into the future, yet never forget the past.
And after all these things are his, add, I pray, enough of a sense of humor, so that he may always be serious, yet never take himself too seriously. Give him humility, so that he may always remember the simplicity of greatness, the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
Then I, his father, will dare to whisper, “I have not lived in vain.” -General Douglas MacArthur
The father in Proverbs 20:7 leads his family well. This father leads with integrity. Integrity involves practicing what we preach. Spiritually, this isn’t just talking about God but it’s also following God. Proverbs promises that the father who walks in integrity is a blessing to his children.
Reflection
Pointing children toward Jesus is our responsibility and our privilege. We are all accountable for our influence on the next generation. You don’t have to be a parent to also share in this responsibility. Are the young people around you better off spiritually because you are in their life? What’s one thing you can focus on this week that will grow your spiritual influence?
Praise
Thank God for the people who influenced you in a positive way in your youth. Thank God for the privilege to be a positive influence on the next generation.
