Proverbs 20:7

A righteous person who walks in his integrity — How blessed are his sons after him. (NASB)

I like the way the Amplified Bible reads. The verse is spelled out more clearly.

The righteous man who walks in integrity and lives life in accord with his [godly] beliefs—
How blessed [happy and spiritually secure] are his children after him [who have his example to follow].

How you live and conduct yourself on a daily basis, has an impact not only on you, but your children as well. Its like throwing a stone into a pond. How you live your life is the stone. The waves represent the effect on others in your sphere of influence. Your children are the ones closet to you so you impact them the most.

But what does it mean to be “righteous”? To live a life characterized by conforming to ethical principles; you are just, morally excellent and upright.

In reference to children, a pastor friend of mine used to say, “More is caught, than taught.” Meaning children learn more by what they see lived out in front of them, as opposed to what they are told. They mimic behavior. So if they see a parent “living like a scoundrel”, they will more than likely pick up “scoundrel” behavior and that behavior will become “normal” to them.

But if they see parents living by ethical principles, namely Biblical principles, they will develop a “norm” that is just, morally excellent and upright. They won’t be perfect, but their tendency as they get older will be to go back to behavior that is “normal”. And this “normal” will be passed on to their children. The transfer of something from one generation to the next is by definition a legacy.

So what kind of legacy are you leaving for your children? What “ripples” do others experience by how you conduct your daily life?