As reluctant as we are to (sometimes) admit it, most of us inherit traits from others. Perhaps you've inherited your mom's sense of direction and your dad's sense of humor. Maybe you and your best friend share the same catchphrases. Possibly you've inherited passion for coffee from a former colleague or college roommate. And you're probably wearing clothes with style that didn't start with you--your style may have been influenced by a magazine, a commercial, a rockstar or fashion from the past (hello, leggings...).
Have you ever thought about how your faith in God (or lack thereof) has been influenced by others?
My parents, for example, didn't know much about God until they were in their mid-twenties. Both of them had encounters with religious people growing up. My dad went to Catholic mass off and on until his father passed away (when my dad was seven). My mom's family never attended any kind of church regularly. However, after her parents divorced and things were tight financially, she remembers visits from Mormons who reached out to help her mom.
It wasn't until they were in their mid-twenties that they really heard what it meant to have a personal relationship with God. They didn't know how much Jesus loved them--and that He gave His life to save them. They didn't know they could talk to Him directly and expect Him to listen. And before meeting a great co-worker and friend, they didn't know that a Christian could be normal--and actually fun to be around.
But what would have happened if they chose not to go to church? What if they didn't read the Bible? What if they raised my sisters and I with a parenting style that said, "Our kids can believe whatever they want to believe. Their faith is their choice..."?
The short answer? We wouldn't know God. We wouldn't know anything about His love.
That would have been a sad story, but it's happened many times throughout history. Today's passage describes Joshua's death and the death of his generation. Read on:
Eventually that entire generation died and was buried.
Then another generation grew up
that didn't know anything of God
or the work he had done for Israel.
The People of Israel did evil in God's sight:
they served Baal-gods;
they deserted God,
the God of their parents
who had led them out of Egypt;
they took up with other gods,
gods of the peoples around them.
They actually worshiped them!
And oh, how they angered God...
This is a really tragic passage because it describes a huge generation gap. The generation that witnessed God's miracles--the parting of the Red Sea, the Exodus from Egypt and tumbling the massive walls of Jericho--failed to pass on a legacy. They didn't help the kids of the next generation know anything about God...or more importantly, to just know God.
Interesting stuff. This post isn't just about parenting. It's about sharing God's love with people--so that they know He cares about them. You don't have to physically have a child to do that. You can influence others in your generation and those younger, too.
A generation gap is an epic fail. Close the gap. Live out God's love so that it's clear and obvious to the world around you.
Tomorrow: Judges 3-5
