Father!—To God himself we cannot give a holier name.
—Marmaduke, in William Wordsworth’s The Borderers
I could have been a casualty of men not fulfilling their God-given role to provide leadership and mirror God’s character. My father and mother were in constant conflict. Our home was filled with chaos. Divorce seemed like the only possible outcome. But what my dad modeled for me the year I turned ten forever changed my life. That was the year my dad turned to Jesus. He immediately became fired up about God and the Bible.
My mom didn’t like my dad as a sinner, and she liked him even less as a saint. She did everything she could to knock my dad’s focus off of God and to make him stop loving her. But nothing worked. My dad loved her un¬conditionally. He was calm, consistent, and caring. Finally one night, she said, “I want what you have because it must be real.”
The impact a father has on a home, a marriage, and on a church or community cannot be emphasized enough. My father’s impact dramatically altered the trajectory of my life and, as a result, has impacted countless more people.
Men, you are leaving a legacy. Your choices, attitudes, and actions are shaping lives and impacting destinies. Whether you received brokenness or goodness from your own father, you are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthi¬ans 5:17). You are able to do all things through Christ’s strength (Philippians 4:13). You are a kingdom man.