We all know how parents can influence the way in which a child grows into adulthood. We’ve all heard people say, “He’s just like his father,” “or she has all the same traits as her mother.” This can be taken in a good way or a bad way. Children tend to follow in the footsteps or footprints of their parents. I didn’t realize how true this was until recently I was reading about two different men who were living in New York State.

Max Jukes was the first man, and he didn’t believe in God, nor did he take his children to church. Matter of fact he refused to let them go on their own or with others even though they wanted to go. He had 1,026 descendants; 300 were sent to prison for an average term of thirteen years; 190 were public prostitutes, 680 were admitted alcoholics. His family, thus far, has cost the state of excess of $420,000. They have made no real contribution to society at all.

The second man, Jonathan Edwards lived in New York State also at the same time as Max Jukes. He loved the Lord and saw that his children were in church every Sunday, and he served his God to the best of his ability. He has 929 descendants, and of these 430 were ministers; 86 became university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authorized good books; 7 were elected to the United States Congress. One was Vice President of his nation. His family never cost the state one cent but has contributed immeasurably to the life of plenty in this land today.

We have gotten away from the lifestyle of people like Jonathan Edwards. Today we start when the child is small giving him everything he wants so when he grows up he’ll believe that the world owes him a living. We pick up after him, picking up everything he leaves lying around, so when he is older he can throw off his responsibility to others. At the first sign of problems we take his side against neighbors, teachers and law enforcement, so he believes he is never wrong in what he does and if he is, Mom and Dad will get him out of it anyway. This causes much grief in the immediate family and even for those surrounding them. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is older he will not depart from it.” What kind of family are you raising? What is your list of descendants going to be like? This is part of the reason our country is in the shape it is today. Get your children in church, and you go with them. Hold them accountable for their actions early on, and you won’t grieve later. Most of all, remember, the most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.