My favorite Father’s Day quote is this one from author Ruth E. Renkel: Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.
I know that a lot of people prefer funny Father’s Day quotes or happy Father’s Day quotes, but for such an important holiday, I tend toward the more serious. And this one especially clicks with me. Think about it. I talk about money all the time–being a good steward, getting the most for your money, learning how to budget. But of course, that’s not what this famous saying about fatherhood is talking about. It’s not about finances. It’s about the legacy that a father leaves. It’s about the example that he lives every day. The number one job of a father is to lead the household–and lead it well.
…[A]s for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15c)
The Greatest Thing a Father Can Do
The greatest thing a father can do is to model servanthood. People get tied into thinking successful fathering is about what a man can do for his family materially. It’s easy to see that selfish children, in their immaturity, would believe that to be the case. But there are many men today who misinterpret their role in much the same way. That is not success. Success is about the example a man sets for his family. Have you noticed how children mimic what they see? We become what we see lived out before us because that is what we know.
As my readers know, I love to read. I’ve been reading several parenting books lately, and what I’m learning really comes as no surprise. Studies have clearly revealed that the role of the father is much more critical to a child’s well-being than our culture would admit. Our society wants to pretend that fathers are disposable–that children, in fact, don’t even need a father. Yet research proves the opposite. Fathers are crucial.
Fathers give their daughters confidence. (Your heart will melt at these 9 Quotes for Father’s Day from Daughters.) For a woman, when a dad loves her well and leaves her a legacy of love, it leads to a positive body image, healthy relationships, and the understanding that it is safe to trust her heavenly Father.
Fathers give their sons a standard for manhood. Our boys are hearing the culture tell them it’s okay to be a biological dad but there’s no responsibility to be a committed father. But for them to understand who God created them to be, they need to have a daddy paving the way for them, laying the groundwork of responsibility and love and integrity.
A father models a right relationship with man and with Christ for his kids. And that is the richest inheritance. You can’t buy it. You can’t rent it. You can’t be “grandfathered” in. For the father who decides to model a Christlike life of service, he leaves his child with a blessed life–a great life. He sets his child up for success, for excellence, for favor. A poor dad who loves Jesus and lives out His truth in his everyday life is the richest dad of all, leaving a lifetime of blessings for his children.
Want more quotes? Enjoy these:
Find out when Father’s Day is this year HERE. And don’t worry, you’ve still got time to use the quotes to make a great card for Dad.
I am truly indebted to the author for their generosity in sharing their intellectual pursuits through this lengthy article