Jonathan Edwards was a busy author, pastor, and president of Princeton Theological Seminary. Yet, he was committed to nurturing his 11 children. Every day before dinner, he would teach them, and he usually took one of his children with him as he traveled. When Edwards died, his wife’s words to her daughter, Esther, were, “Oh what a legacy my husband and your father has left us.” She couldn’t have imagined how right she was. In fact, in Edwards’ line of descent, there were:
- 300 pastors, missionaries, or theological professors
- 120 professors
- 110 Attorneys
- 60 Prominent authors
- 30 Judges
- 3 Members of Congress
- 1 Vice President of the US
In contrast, someone studied the descendents of a contemporary of Edwards, named Mr. Jukes, who had no interest in spiritual things. Jukes’ line of descent led to:
- 440 who were physically wrecked by their own wickedness
- 310 professional paupers
- 130 convicted criminals
- 60 habitual thieves
- 55 victims of impurity
- 7 murderers
Your fathering legacy is much more important than you have probably ever realized. Not only does your legacy impact your descendents down to the third or fourth generation, your legacy will impact all the people they influence. If you and your descendents were to have just three children, and each child were to influence just 100 people in their entire lifetime, the godly heritage you leave behind would impact 2700 people!
Being a godly father isn’t just another one of our many, heavy responsibilities! It is a way to invest your life in something that really matters. God says,
“Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. His children will be mighty in the land; each generation of the upright will be blessed…
a righteous man will be remembered forever.” Ps. 112:1-2, 6b
It’s been said that the greatest fear a man has is to get to the end of his life and feel like his existence on planet earth has not made any difference. Men want to invest their lives in something that matters, something that will outlive them.
Take a moment and think about what you might see if you came back 50 years after your death. What will your great grandchildren be like? What influence will they be having on the world for Christ? Will they be raising up spiritually strong sons and virtuous daughters to impact the generation after them?
The answers to these questions will depend in large part on your commitment to being a godly dad right now! What a way for your life to have an impact for Christ!
Click to find out about the Great Dads Seminar or the Winning at Home Seminar.
