photo by lyng883
We’ve been using a book called Dare 2B Wise
by Joe White and Kelli Stuart as part of our family devotions in the morning. The discussion questions have proved fruitful in instigating conversation about things, focusing on the wisdom of Proverbs as our source of Bible truths.
by Joe White and Kelli Stuart as part of our family devotions in the morning. The discussion questions have proved fruitful in instigating conversation about things, focusing on the wisdom of Proverbs as our source of Bible truths. One morning last week we read about Jim Cooper, a man who didn’t come to Christ until he was a young father but then became passionate for reaching others with the gospel. He uprooted his wife and four children and became a missionary and church planter in the Caribbean. Material wealth eluded him, but their family was rich in love and the relationships they had through their work.
Jim died at age 44 from leukemia. He had little in the way of material wealth to leave his children as an inheritance, but he did leave his children with one legacy: God. While their extended family struggled with heartaches and trials, Jim Cooper’s children and grandchildren have all made professions of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
The first discussion question then asked my children: Where does your legacy of belief come from? Does it begin with grandparents or parents?
In our case, it comes from us, Bill and me. Our children have never heard about a saving relationship with Jesus from their grandparents. My husband, who grew up in a family defined by dysfunction, lost his dad to suicide as a young teen. His mom, who came to Christ as an older woman a few years before she died, had minimal impact on our two oldest sons, and had gone home to heaven before our younger two were born. My parents, devout church-goers and good, moral people, nonetheless have never spent any time discussing God or His truths with their grandchildren.
Not hearing about Jesus in our household, however, has never been an option. Bill and I both made the decision that dedicating our children to the Lord meant teaching them everything we knew about Him. God was going to be real and alive and in everything our family said and did. We wanted our children to know Him.
I shared all that with my children that morning. I told them both that it was so important to their dad and me that they knew about Jesus, not only so they could come to a decision about Him in their own lives, but so they could then pass this knowledge down to their own children some day. And then my daughter, sitting in her pajamas with a blanket draped across her lap, shared these words:
“I can’t imagine not teaching my children about God.”
That’s what this is all about. Establishing a legacy for Christ in our home. Setting up blessing for a thousand generations because Bill and I love God and desire to obey His commands to teach our children about Him.
Have you made this decision for your family as well?
Help get this message out. Would you link to it in your own blog?
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4 comments:
Deb, you write so well. It is so impactful. I love reading your blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thanks for stopping by my blog on the BATW tour to New Zealand. Your comments really made me smile. Thanks for that!
Sue, you make me blush....
Oh, we are kindred spirits aren't we! A Fantastic Post! We as Christians need to focus more on the affect our lives will have on future generations.
Cathy :o)
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