A Father's Legacy
6/15/2022
Written by: Frieda Dowler
Every father leaves a legacy, whether intentional or not.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, legacy is something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past. According to the Bible, a legacy lives to the third and fourth generations. It will be a curse or it will be a blessing.
You shall not bow down to them (idols) or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. Exo. 20: 5-6 NIV.
We will celebrate fathers on Sunday. Many will celebrate a father’s legacy of love, but many will not celebrate because they do not know their fathers. I recently became aware of some startling statistics of a legacy of curse. During a brief presentation of Team Focus USA, an organization that mentors fatherless youth with Christian values, they stated these sad truths.
- 90% of all homeless and runaway youth are from fatherless homes
- 75% of adolescents in substance abuse centers are from fatherless homes
- 71% of high school dropouts are from fatherless homes
- 65% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.
Fathers are vital to establishing Godly culture. It’s no wonder Satan attacks from the head down and diminishes the role of fathers in society. In God’s plan, fathers are the head of the household. They are held responsible for the outcome of the lives of their families and ultimately a healthy society.
I believe when you’ve had a good father, the concept of God is easier to grasp. But when a father has not been present or not been a good father, the concept of God takes time to develop. Fatherhood is by the design of our Creator for a reason. Physical examples exist to show spiritual concepts, and fatherhood is chief among them. But ultimately, God wants all his children to live with his legacy of love.
Father is a special term in the Bible mentioned nearly one thousand times. In the Old Testament, the reference is to earthly fathers. But in the New Testament, most references are to God, the Father of Jesus. I believe this is significant because under the new covenant, God becomes Father through Jesus Christ. When we accept who Jesus is, we also call God our Father as we become His children and a part of His family.
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 NIV.
I believe fatherhood is God’s greatest gift because it establishes a pattern for men to continue the legacy of God’s love on earth. The challenge is to be like God when raising children. The legacy to transmit should be based on God as our Father. Then the blessing of love the Bible speaks of in the Old Testament passes to the children. When we experience God’s presence and goodness, we will pass along the blessing to three and four generations.
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Eph. 5:1 NLT.
If you are among those who have not had good examples of fathers and don’t feel you live under the legacy of love, there is hope. We cannot choose our earthly fathers, but we can choose our Heavenly Father. God will be your father. Starting now, you can live in His legacy of love and pass it along to future generations.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Eph. 1:5 NLT.
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him Abba, Father. For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. Rm. 8:15 - 16 NLT
If this devotional pulls on your heart, these are some additional resources. You can be born again into a Spiritual Kingdom, with God as your loving Father. That spiritual life becomes more real than the physical world we are born into.
Read what the Bible says about the second birth in John 3: 1-21.
Join a small group at Victory Christian Church where you can ask questions and learn about a spiritual life.
Ask about Foundations, an in-depth online study of the core beliefs we hold as Jesus followers.
Ask about one-on-one mentoring through Victory Christian Church.