Being Remembered

I found out recently that the father of one of the guys on my ministry team (Karl Lehman) and my mother both had the same birthday. Their birthday was the same day as our recent men's worship night and I told Karl that I think they'd both be proud of their sons. It made me stop and think about the importance of being a godly parent and one whom their children would have fond memories of someday.

My mom was a godly woman who believed in God but for years didn't know Jesus Christ. Through God's grace, she accepted Christ as her Savior shortly before she died in 2003. Even though for years she didn't understand the Gospel, she was still the reason that I knew there was a God who created everything and had an eternal plan for me. Though I fought and often rebelled against her godly wisdom, she was able to lay down enough of a foundation that I always had an awareness of God's presence. I know that she had a part in a long and often painful journey that finally led me to a time that I put my full faith and trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

What Mom and so many others miss is the truth that our Heavenly Father, above all else, desires a relationship with us. As James Dobson once said, rules minus relationship equals rebellion. Our children need rules to guide their lives, but much more important is their need for relationship. From us. A relationship that points them to the Father. A relationship that models for them the character of Jesus Christ.

As God's men, we have an awesome privilege and an awesome responsibility to spiritually lead our families. Many of us have fathers who never stepped up to the plate and assumed their God-given role, but we don't have to continue that kind of legacy. Scripture tells us nothing about Abraham's father, so we don't know what kind of influence he had on the man who became the father of many nations. The godly heritage in your family can start with you. What a great way to be remembered!