Finishing Strong as Fathers and Hearing “Well Done”

“Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers” (Proverbs 17:6, ESV).

“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now; I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (Matthew 25:23, NLT).

If we delight ourselves in God, the desire of our hearts will be to hear his words of approval. What could be better than hearing him say “Well done” about loving our wife and raising our children?

There are many men who, when they get older, end up puttering around and wasting time that could be invested in younger men who could benefit from their wisdom. But the men who keep their minds and hearts keenest for God are those who mentor younger men for God’s glory. I have invested in many younger men, and I always feel I come away the beneficiary.

Finishing Strong as Fathers

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Psalm 78:4, ESV).

One of the great ironies of our culture is that fathers spend more time making money and less time with their children. Their children receive a rich inheritance, but a poor heritage.

“What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” And what will it profit him if he leads a Fortune 500 company, but loses his own children?

Multimillionaire Andrew Carnegie said, “The almighty dollar bequeathed to a child is an almighty curse. No man has the right to handicap his son with such a burden as great wealth.”

Without their parents’ guidance, children will not learn wisdom. Without wisdom, wealth will only damage our children by subsidizing addictions, laziness, and immorality.

Let’s be sure we give our children what they really need.

When I was a young pastor, each day I poured myself into endless church appointments and meetings. I found myself drained. One night, I was wrestling with my little girls, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up. We all laughed. But it got my attention. I went to the elders of my church and said, “Something has to change. I have to stop giving all the best hours of my day to the church. I need to spend a lot of those best hours with my family.”

By God’s grace, I made the needed adjustments and became a better husband and father. Looking back, I made many mistakes, but overall, Nanci and I invested in our children, and sought to train them to follow Jesus. When we look at our daughters and their husbands and children today, we are deeply grateful to God for what he has done. And we are profoundly grateful that our sons-in-laws’ parents raised them to fear and love God.

At the end of his life, no man says, “I wish I’d done more at the office and on the golf course.” He says, “I wish I’d done more with my family.”

So instead of one day looking back and wishing you’d done it, why not choose to do it now?