The greatest job

Think a minute…The Greek philosopher Diogenes said that when a son does wrong or behaves badly, it’s the father who should be punished since he’s the one who failed to do his job. Many men are successful in their public career and job, but failures in their most important job: being a father.

One of the richest men in the world was the German Friedrich Flick. When he died, his personal fortune was $1 ½ billion. That’s 1 thousand, 5 hundred million! He owned 300 different companies and was respected as one of the smartest businessmen in the world.

He seemed to make all the right moves. Yet with all of his world-class success, wealth, and power, He could not control his own children. He could put big companies together, but he could not put his own family together.

So after he died, his children fought for years over his money; and all the experts tried to clean up the big mess of broken pieces Flick left behind because of his failure as a father. So he actually died a poor man and failure at his most important job.

The famous army General, Douglas MacArthur, is thought by many to be one of the greatest military leaders of all time. He led the Allied armies to victory over the Japanese in World War II. Later he was the leader of the United Nations forces in Korea.

Yet even though he was such a great success as a military leader, MacArthur did not think it was his most important job or success. In 1942 he said this in a public speech: “By profession, I am a soldier, and take great pride in that. But I am much prouder, to be a father.

It is my hope in life, that when I am gone, my son will remember me not from my victories on the battlefield, but from my leadership and example in the home.”

In World War II, every morning General MacArthur read his Bible and prayed this prayer: “Lord, help me teach my son to be strong enough to know when he is weak.

A son who will be honest and brave when he loses, but humble and kind when he wins. Help me build a son who is strong in hard times, and has compassion for those who fail.

Help me build a son whose character is right, and whose standard is high. A son who masters himself, before he tries to master others. Lord, give him humility and true strength, and an open mind to learn wisdom. Then I, his father, will dare to say ‘I have not failed in life.’”

So dad, never forget: your child’s life will be determined by how hard you work…at being a father! And the only One Who can give you the strength, wisdom, and love you need to succeed at your most important job is your own Father in heaven.

So today, won’t you ask God to forgive you, and to take charge of your heart and character? He will help you to start becoming the strong, loving and successful father your children need. Just Think a Minute…

Samoa Observer

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