A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children… – Proverbs 13:22, AMP

On Father’s Day, fathers everywhere enjoy the love and adoration of their families. But with such blessings comes the reminder of what a sober, weighty task fatherhood is for those men who follow God’s plan for the family.

Of all the duties that God assigns fathers, there is perhaps no more important task than to leave a heritage of righteoussnes for their children and grandchildren. In Deuteronomy 6:7 (KJV), God commands fathers to teach the statutes of God “diligently unto thy children, and (thou) shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

Psalm 78:5-7 (KJV) echoes this admonition, stating that:

For he (God) established a testimony (heritage) in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known (teach the heritage) to our children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.

Are fathers responsible for providing for their families? Yes. Are they responsible for keeping them safe? Yes. Are they responsible for discipling their families for Christ? Most definitely, but this is where the average Christian father fails.  Content to provide, to protect, and to proclaim a minimal level of morality, many Christian fathers fall short of the role of disciple-maker. It is a foreign thought to teach the statutes of God at home throughout the day. Bible study and family prayer get lost in the hustle and bustle of school, work, and sports.  And building a heritage of moral stabiliy and goodness takes a backseat to pursuing a heritage of earthly wealth.

Stop losing sight of the fact, dear Christian father (and mother, for that matter), that your primary task as a parent is to raise godly offspring (Malachi 2:15). While we ought to pay attention to our other parental duties, it is high time we spend more time on building the spiritual inheritance that has both earthly and eternal value.