Starke Reality: Your Kids Have the Last Word

Thursday, October 01, 2015

Your Kids Have the Last Word

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Proverbs 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

I lived a good two decades before any of my children were born. My daughter was born in 1997, and my boys were born after the year 2000. Because of that, there is a lot I have seen, heard, and said that they have not. But there is coming a day when my children will be here and I will not be. They will see and hear things that I will not, and they will have the capacity to say things that I really could not say given the time and place that I lived. All this speaks to the importance of what I do now in light of the lives my children will live tomorrow.
Proverbs 20:7 says, "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him." That is an extremely powerful message in just one sentence.
In the first place, the just man is named. This is a class of people in the book of Proverbs just like the fool, the wise, the prudent, and the simple are. This is a class that I wish to learn from and be a part of.
The just man is also defined in this verse. The Bible says, "The just man walketh in his integrity." He is defined by his actions. The just man walketh in his integrity. Integrity means that there is no difference between what I am and what I portray. That is particularly imperative for parents because your kids know who you really are, and they know how you portray yourself. There should be a consistency between my beliefs, my attitudes, and my actions.
Finally, the just man is remembered. The Bible says, "His children are blessed after him." He is remembered by the children he rears, trains, and directs. All of this is a challenge for each of us. Live well before your kids because they will have the last word.

Prayer Requests:
- Meetings this weekend in Park Rapids, MN