"Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers."
Proverbs 17:6
Somehow I have read this verse before and only noticed the first line. It is common for parents and grandparents to glory in their children and grandchildren. For example, we can think of the common bumper sticker: "My child is an honor student at _____." But how many children recognize that their fathers are their glory? How many recognize that to dishonor or honor their parents is to dishonor or honor themselves?
As the child of my father, I bear his name, Bringe. He is my reputation and glory. I inherit a heritage from him, as he did from his father. My son will inherit it from me. We are not disconnected individuals, but are united with past generations in our families. While the idea of the honor of a family and the inheritance of glory and responsibility by right of birth may seem antiquated to us, it is biblical. While some family legacies may be better than others, the command to honor father and mother is given to all. Some of us are given two talents, some are given five (Matt. 25:14-30). Let us all improve on what we have been given, striving to both maintain the honor of our fathers and to leave an even better inheritance for our children.
1 comment:
Hi Peter. I appreciated how you used the analogy of the talents for family legacies--for, indeed, that is the way it goes, some have more heritage to build on than others. For instance, I have a much greater heritage of godliness in my own immediate family that my parents have had from theirs...and it is not something that I take for granted. Thanks for bringing it up.
Post a Comment