“You must be one of Pastor Esposito’s Boys!” "Did my nose give me away?" Often people can quickly identify me and my brothers as my dad’s sons because we have many of his physical features, most notably our big Esposito nose! This is a physical feature my dad passed down to us that is biological and took no effort. However, there are many character traits my dad worked hard to develop in his life that we are blessed to pick up much easier than he did.

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Hidden in the middle of some of God’s most important commandments (the Ten Commandments) are two interesting verses with a very important truth:

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Deuteronomy 5:9-10 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

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We know from other passages that God doesn’t directly punish children for their parents’ mistakes (Ez. 18:2-4). However, when a father lives in sin, his children are predisposed to live in sin. When a father chooses to live a clean life, he sets his children up for the same! God has given each person a free will, and their choices will dictate their destiny, but parents' choices do affect their children!

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Children typically follow in the footsteps of their parents. Often children of drunks end up…well, drunks! A fatherless home is a trend that typically transcends generations. Immoral and angry dads raise promiscuous and short-tempered sons. Moms who undermine their husband's authority typically have daughters with marital problems. On the flip side of things, it is common for committed Christians to have their kids surrender to ministry! Godly moms produce virtuous daughters. Parents with a good work ethic typically have children that succeed in the workforce.

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To sum these verses up, if a father (parent) chooses to live for the Lord and live clean, his children are predisposed to live a life that results in blessing!  When a father (parent) chooses to live a life of sin, his children are predisposed to live a life that results in judgment!

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Thoughts for parents to ponder:

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-I must be the one to break sinful trends if I wish to have Godly offspring!
-What traits do I have today that would pain me to see my children possess when they are my age? Whatever they are, I must change them!
-Do I have curses (sin habits) passed down from previous generations? If I am struggling for victory, it would be wise to get with Pastor Meyers or my adult Sunday school teacher for biblical help as to how to overcome these sins!
-What character traits can I add, or what adjustments can I make in my life, to set my children up for spiritual success?