Cheryl and I were driving home a few days ago and had the radio on a station that played Country Music from the 80s and 90s. We heard one we had not heard in a while, a song by Paul Overstreet entitled “Seein’ My Father in Me.”

When we got home, I looked for it online. As I was watching the music video, it started with these words: He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. While the video did not say where those words were from, I recognized them as part of the last verse of the Old Testament, Malachi 4:6. It was speaking of Elijah coming before the Lord’s return, calling people to repentance so that they can be forgiven instead of receiving the destruction their sins deserve.

Getting back to the song, this is the refrain.

I’m seein’ my father in me, I guess that’s how it’s meant to be
And I find I’m more and more like him each day
I notice I walk the way he walks I notice I talk the way he talks
I’m starin’ to see my father in me.
And I’m happy to see my father in me…

The music video I saw showed fathers and sons and grandsons all together, many of them bearing strong physical resemblances. But the lyrics refer to a different kind of resemblance. Walking the way he walks and talking the way he talks. When men have a loving and morally upright role model to follow, it makes a difference. Those of us who are fathers and grandfathers need to take that to heart and be sure we are setting a good example.

But I went even further as I was reflecting on this song, and I’m sure you already know where I am going with this. The world needs to see our heavenly Father in all of us who are His disciples. That’s how it’s meant to be. We should be more and more like Him each day. Our lives were changed when we were led to faith in Jesus as our Savior. Knowing that His perfection covers us and His death has paid our penalty, we want to respond with lives that let others know about Him, too.

Each of us should pray that the world will be “Seein’ My Father in Me.”