Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. Read more of their story.

Scripture

“I have singled [Abraham] out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.” Genesis 18:19

“So Lot rushed out to tell his daughter’s fiances, “Quick, get out of the city! The Lord is about to destroy it.” But the young men thought he was only joking.” Genesis 19:14

Observation

I am journaling today with a friend. He opened his journal and pulled from it a card written by his son. It was a moving tribute to a man who has invested not just time camping, hunting, and fishing with his son but also given him the indelible example of a man of God. Of all of his life possessions I would suspect that card would be one of his most valued, for what greater thing can a man leave behind him than a son to follow the Lord as he has?

Abraham’s name is a household word today not for the great pyramids he built or the wealth he had. He is etched into history because of the son he raised to fear the Lord. All history has been changed through that one boy. Abraham was “singled out” to direct his son. Fathering was not to be a passive thing to leave his boy to stumble into life to make it up anyway that he liked. Abraham was to take authority to make the fear of God grow deep in his son’s heart. God has given fathers authority that is often pushed aside as dad picks up the remote and flicks through the channels. A dad’s authority is time, attention, corrective words, and powerful example. When used well fathering makes an eternal difference.

Lot’s name, however, is not a household word today. We remember only his wife who couldn’t let go of the good life to follow after God and became a statue in the desert. When the moment of emergency decision came, the sons-in-law in his household only laughed at Lot. Were they used to the old man joking around about everything in life? Was Lot a man who was afraid to be serious about the significant? Obviously so. Lot could not marshall his family out the front door in a time of disaster, so poor was his leadership at home. His story ends dismally with more compromise, drunkenness and incest.

Application

God has given to me a responsibility for my sons to get them started in the groove God has for their lives. Like an old vinyl record, there is a track God has chosen for them. My job is to place the needle in the right place so that their life-song can play for the Lord. I can’t be afraid of that responsibility. Fun is important in my home, but if my sons are to amount to anything they need to know what is worth being serious about.

Prayer Father, make me a better dad today. Amen.