What will be your legacy? What is it that you wish to preserve above all else beyond your own life and onto the generations to come? Is it the family name? Is it a contribution to society?
As a follower of Christ, of paramount importance is the passing on of the heritage of biblical truth to the next generation. The Israelites were to teach the next generation to fear the God of the covenant "so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live".
Some of us have been blessed with children, others may look forward to and hope to have children. A couple of things come to mind:
What practical steps am I taking to teach my children to fear God? Not to tremble in terror but to grow up with a firm conviction that God is just, perfect and does not deal with sin lightly. The reality is that if this is not taught and modeled at home they won't pick it up elsewhere. This responsibility cannot be offloaded to the kid's church leader, to the youth leader or to the teacher at a christian school.
Am I impressing God's words on my children with the constancy that Moses speaks of? When we sit at home, when we walk along the road, etc. In earlier times, in ancient Israel, before the industrial revolution, work life and family life were much more connected. Now the two are disconnected. Imagine the opportunities to talk about God with your son as you taught him the art of sharpening a saw in the workshop. Given our context, in many cases working long days away from the home, we will need to be creative and diligent to make these opportunities.
Am I modeling a loyalty to God? Are my children learning from me what it means to be God-centered or are they learning how to be self-centered? "Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you".
Do I make the most of those opportunities when my children ask me questions about Christ and the Scriptures? "In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of...", are we answering them by telling of all that God has done for them in Christ Jesus.
I am a fan of Jonathon Edwards (1703-1758). The legacy left by the Edwards family demonstrates the effect of a gospel-centered home. My prayer is that my home and yours will also leave a legacy of faith: "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6.
Andrew (10.45am @ Engadine)
Tomorrow's Readings: Deuteronomy 7, John 13
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