Passing the faith along

God has no grandchildren! In reading the books of 1 and 2 Kings, I note a phrase that shows up again and again as a new generation is introduced, "he did what evil in the sight of the Lord." The nations of Israel and Judah were led by a succession of kings, one good and righteous; the next forsaking the Lord. Some of the most godly kings were succeeded by terrible ones. What I noted was that these were members of the same family. Son following father, which might cause us to assume that the faith would remain intact from generation to generation. It didn't! Why? Because each generation must have their own experience of the Spirit for God has no grandchildren.

That is not to say that we cannot pass the faith along. It is a sacred obligation to make certain that our children understand the ways of God! Judaism, ancient and modern, included the "Shema Y'Israel," which is literally translated, "Hear, O Israel," and is taken from the declaration of the existence of One True God and the importance making Him known to our children. The prayer is taken from Deuteronomy "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." The passage goes on to direct us with this solemn commandment. "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads." (Deuteronomy 6:4-8, NIV)

Believers are fond of quoting a proverb which emphasizes the parental responsibility of passing the faith along - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6, NIV) - but often do so with a kind of desperation about the spiritual well-being of their children. I don't believe that verse should be read like a covenant statement in the sense of "if you do this, then this is the inevitable result." Rather, in keeping with the pithy wisdom of the Proverbs, it should be read as common sense kind of knowledge. The Message catches the spirit of the passage - "Point your kids in the right direction— when they’re old they won’t be lost." (Proverbs 22:6, The Message)

It is the God-given task of every generation to lay the foundation of the knowledge of God for the next, but we cannot save our children from their sins. Only God can transform a human heart! We present the Truth and, if we are wise, live it well so that they have powerful examples of the desirability of serving the Lord. But, then we must pray for the Spirit to take hold of the heart and mind of our child, drawing that sinful one to the Cross and to a soul-transforming experience of the Spirit. There is a folly in the land of the churched that believes that a good youth group or a solid Sunday School can replace parental example! Of course having a good community of faith is an important part of the spiritual development of any person - young or old. However, when it comes to passing the faith to the next generation there is nothing as powerful on earth as the consistent commitment of Mom and Dad to a life that is lived in the fear of the Lord.

Kids have a wonderful hypocrisy detector that can sense the old 'do what I say, not what I do' nonsense at a very early age! Where they see that kind of gap between profession and possession, they will much more likely to conclude that faith in God is unnecessary baggage to be tossed away as soon as practically possible.

That said, let me circle 'round to underscore once again, even the best and godliest of parents, cannot save their children. God deals with each generation and each one must respond to Him, to receive the regenerative life of the Spirit for themselves. This grandpa watched his two little grandsons play yesterday and my heart was full of love for them, my strongest yearning being that they will know the Lord and find the joy of life in the Spirit early in their lives. And, in my reverie, I re-committed myself to passing the faith along, praying that their parents will provide quality spiritual nurture, and, most importantly, that the Holy Spirit will draw them to the Living Lord and find in them a response of obedient faith.

Are you passing the faith along, laying the foundation of the knowledge of God, living a life that invites the next generation to join the community of the people of God?

"Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you. Don’t neglect your mother’s teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor." (Proverbs 1:7-9, NLT)
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A Parenting Newsletter suggests that there are key things we can do that help the legacy of faith to be handed off to the next generation.

Do you:

Acknowledge and reinforce spiritual realities? Do your children know, for example, that Jesus loves everyone? That God is personal, loving and will forgive us?

View God as a personal, caring being who is to be loved and respected?

Make spiritual activities a routine part of life?

Clarify timeless truth — what’s right and wrong?

Incorporate spiritual principles into everyday living

—From Your Heritage, by J. Otis Ledbetter and Kurt Bruner