The Legacy Of The Father

The Legacy of the Father

Have you ever used the expression “Like father, like son”? It speaks to the various qualities that sons pick up from their fathers. Ken Norton Jr. picked up his athletic ability from his father, former heavyweight champion Ken Norton Sr. These two men had an unbreakable bond, as Norton Sr. raised his son through some very difficult and hard times, all on his own. Norton Jr. played linebacker at UCLA and then played a number of years in the NFL.

Their split from one another became a big surprise to many in the media and to those who knew them well. Norton Jr.’s high school football coach, who had always admired the father that Norton Sr. was to his son, couldn’t fathom a scenario that would drive the two apart. After a few years of estrangement, they reconciled because Angela, the wife of the former NFL linebacker, took it upon herself to bring the two proud and stubborn heavyweights together.

What attributes did you pick up from your father? It is probably a mix of his strengths and his weaknesses. Even if you didn’t know him, you may carry his name and nature. As followers of Christ, we have a heavenly Father who has put his name and nature on us. As a result, we are to seek to live in a way that is pleasing to him. Ephesians 5:1 challenges us with these words: “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” May it be said of us, in relationship to our heavenly Father, “Like Father, like son!”

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Ephesians 5:1