About 3,500 years ago God looked down, saw Abraham, and said, “Now there is a great dad!” Have you ever wondered what God’s idea of a great dad is? The answer is found in Genesis 18:19 where God said of Abraham, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment.”
The comparison in this passage is between Abraham and Lot. Lot was the man who relocated his family to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for financial gain, blew his testimony, forfeited his influence, and eventually lost his family. Lot knew about God. Abraham knew God, and God knew Abraham!
This is where it starts for dads and moms. It begins with knowing God; with having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The second step is providing godly leadership in the home. The Bible says Abraham, “commanded his children and his household after him.”
James Dobson from Focus on the Family once said, “The father’s most important responsibility is to communicate the real meaning of Christianity to his children.” That is what Abraham did, and he did it by words and deeds. He taught his family, and then he set the example. The verse said he commanded his children and household after him. Here is what that means –
· He taught patience by being patient
· He taught honesty by keeping his promises
· He taught obedience to God by being obedient
· He taught right priorities by setting them for himself and his family
Abraham had a great reputation in heaven. Do you? If not, it isn’t too late to change. Look to your heavenly Father and ask Him to help you be the kind of father He wants you to be. Then follow the example set by Abraham. Know God personally. Lead your family faithfully. And don’t just tell them; show them.
Do this and you, too, can be known in heaven as a great dad!
Pastor Todd Weston
The comparison in this passage is between Abraham and Lot. Lot was the man who relocated his family to the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for financial gain, blew his testimony, forfeited his influence, and eventually lost his family. Lot knew about God. Abraham knew God, and God knew Abraham!
This is where it starts for dads and moms. It begins with knowing God; with having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The second step is providing godly leadership in the home. The Bible says Abraham, “commanded his children and his household after him.”
James Dobson from Focus on the Family once said, “The father’s most important responsibility is to communicate the real meaning of Christianity to his children.” That is what Abraham did, and he did it by words and deeds. He taught his family, and then he set the example. The verse said he commanded his children and household after him. Here is what that means –
· He taught patience by being patient
· He taught honesty by keeping his promises
· He taught obedience to God by being obedient
· He taught right priorities by setting them for himself and his family
Abraham had a great reputation in heaven. Do you? If not, it isn’t too late to change. Look to your heavenly Father and ask Him to help you be the kind of father He wants you to be. Then follow the example set by Abraham. Know God personally. Lead your family faithfully. And don’t just tell them; show them.
Do this and you, too, can be known in heaven as a great dad!
Pastor Todd Weston
