“The most powerful spiritual legacy a father leaves is in the quiet authenticity of a life lived before God.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – June 13, 2025
As a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God. 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
Josh is a father of three sons whom I admire and respect. For the last 14 years, I have had a front-row seat watching Josh navigate life with his boys. Two are off at college, and the youngest is in high school. The father-son bond is uncommonly strong yet pliable. Strong in their love and respect for one another, and pliable in how Josh gives each young man space to develop and thrive into their unique selves. The boys know their dad wants to be with them. They do things together. Projects around the house become opportunities to talk about what’s going on. Men like talking shoulder to shoulder; they don’t have to make eye contact! Buying an old boat, fixing it up together, and heading to the lake to see if it is seaworthy. Coaching their sports teams or volunteering to be a chaperone on a church youth outing kept Josh engaged with his boys.
Bill is another friend who is intentional with his two sons. The workshop smells of sawdust and possibility as Bill and his teenage son bend over a half-finished table. They’re not just building furniture—they’re building a relationship, one dovetail joint at a time. It is a fun, interesting environment in which fathers connect with sons. The magic rarely happens in formal sit-downs or scheduled “talks.” It unfolds in those side-by-side moments—tinkering with engines, casting fishing lines, or simply driving somewhere with the radio playing between comfortable silences.
The wisest fathers, like Josh and Bill with their boys, understand that masculine connection often happens shoulder to shoulder rather than face to face. Men and boys tend to open up when their hands are busy and eyes are focused elsewhere. That old boat restoration project? It’s actually a floating confessional where life’s real questions surface between sandpaper strokes. But this investment goes beyond shared activities. It’s about creating a foundation strong enough to support their growth while remaining flexible enough to let them become their authentic selves. Your son isn’t a mini-you—he’s his own person with unique gifts waiting to be known and loved.
When you volunteer to coach his team or chaperone that youth trip, you’re silently saying, “You matter enough for me to rearrange my world.” When you ask questions about his interests—even when you don’t fully understand them—you’re building bridges to his reality. The most powerful words you can communicate aren’t just “I love you,” but “I see you,” “I enjoy you,” and “I’m interested in the man you’re becoming.” This investment pays dividends no stock market can match: sons who know they’re valued not for achievement, but for existence.
The most powerful spiritual legacy a father leaves isn’t found in lectures about faith but in the quiet authenticity of a life lived before God. Sons watch how you handle disappointment, how you treat their mother, and how you apologize when wrong. They’re measuring your Monday-through-Saturday faith against your Sunday pronouncements. Create sacred rhythms together—perhaps blessing them before sleep, reading scripture around campfires, or serving alongside them in community. These moments become anchors in storms to come. Ask questions that matter: “What are you grateful for today?” “Where did you see God working?” “What’s weighing on your heart?” Then listen—not to fix, but to understand. Pray with them and for them, by name and specifically. Let them catch you on your knees sometimes. The goal isn’t raising sons who merely follow rules, but men whose hearts beat in rhythm with their Creator’s—just as yours is learning to. Your imperfect journey, honestly shared, becomes their map to follow Jesus.
Prayer
Lord, help me love my son with Your wisdom and grace. Teach me to bless him with encouragement, patience, and faith, guiding his heart toward You in every season of life. In Jesus’ name, Amen
Application
What projects, hobbies, sports or events can you and your son experience together?
Related Reading
Genesis 22:7-8; Proverbs 3:11-12, 4:1; Luke 15:20
Worship Resource
Will Dempsey: The Man You See in Me
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