Fatherly advice is incredibly important to a boy’s development. I remember my dad telling me things practical things like how to work on the car or the house, matters of character such as how to treat my wife when I get married, and disciplinary lessons in the consequences of my actions. They took a while to sink in, but now that guidance is with me and shapes the way I am as a man.

Fatherly advice has always been important. In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon relays the following guidance from his father David:

4:3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4:4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

The advice David passed along to his son did not return void. Later on, when Solomon succeeded David as king of Israel, those words bore fruit. As depicted in I Kings chapter 3 and and II Chronicles chapter 1:

1:7 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
…
1:10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great?
1:11 And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king:
1:12 Wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like.

Solomon obeyed his father’s counsel, and was pleasing to God. The Bible talks about David as “a man after God’s own heart.” His advice to his son was to seek wisdom, and Solomon followed through. But what is wisdom?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalm 111:10)

I learned a lot from my dad; mechanical skills, practical common sense, and a fear of God. But it wasn’t until one day when I was helping him at a job site before my shift at the TV station when he told me, completely out of the blue: “You know, you’ll never get to heaven unless you accept Jesus Christ into your heart.” This was a real shock to me; I grew up in a strict Catholic environment, attending private schools with uniforms and knuckle-rapping nuns. I’d fallen away from church after college, but still feared God. I just didn’t know much about him, although I could recite the Catholic Mass in my sleep. So my dad’s words made me curious.

I started exploring the gospels and was completely astounded by what I read therein. I took particular interest in the book of Romans, which every Catholic should read. I found out that trying to “be a good person” or “work my way to heaven” was not going to cut it. I always figured if my scales tipped toward good more than evil, I’d be okay. I found out that my idea wasn’t in line with God’s plan at all.

In the Old Testament times, the Jews would have to sacrifice a lamb without a blemish or spot (Exodus 12:5, I Peter 1:19) to atone for their sins. These sacrifices covered their sins, but did not take them away. But under the new covenant of the New Testament, Jesus Christ became that sacrifice for all the world. Remember how he’s called the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” The sacrifice for our sins has already been made, we just need to put our faith in that “free gift” (Romans chapter 5).

The Bible tells us that “and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and that “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet I was simply hoping that I’d been more good than bad, thinking that somehow that would make me go up instead of down someday. Talk about some uninformed thinking! And I knew none of this until the advice of my father pointed me in the right direction and I opened God’s word for answers.

After reading and discovering what the Bible says about our eternal salvation, I repented and put my trust in the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on my behalf. I realized that I was a sinner that had separated himself from God; that no good thing I do or sacrament I perform could make up for that sin; and that Jesus Christ had already died and risen from the dead so that I could claim victory over sin through him. I’ve now got assurance of a place in heaven someday; not because Clint did anything of note, but that I believe that Jesus did it for me.

If you are trying to be a good person today, that’s great. If you expect it to get you to heaven at the end of your earthly run, that’s not scriptural. Only by the belief that Jesus died on the cross for your sins as well as the sin of the world can you see him in heaven someday. Read the Bible; it’s simply amazing how God’s plan works, yet we’re all too busy or distracted to find out about it!

I’ve got some wonderful news to pass along to my little boy when he’s older. He’ll know that he doesn’t have to be a slave to sin all his life or try to work his way to heaven. He’ll grow up knowing that he has a loving God, an eternal Savior who has made a way for him. That’s far more important for a boy to learn than how to ride a bicycle or change the oil in the car. Don’t worry, he’s going to learn those things too.