Judges 2:10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.
What do you fear? One of the greatest fears I have as a father is of being greeted in heaven by the many people I have led to the Lord but failing to find my own children or grandchildren there. When I think about that possibility, it causes me sleepless nights. Now I know that God in his sovereignty is working everything out, but it is difficult from a human position to contemplate the reality. Over the centuries there have been many famous Christians whose children have not followed in their footsteps. D.L. Moody, A.W. Tozar and Charles H. Spurgeon were men who faced this issue. This was also true for the first generation after the death of Joshua.
So what is the best strategy for passing along the faith to the next generation? Because of free will there is no guarantee for a "speed bump free" transition, but there are certain commitments we can make to give them the best opportunity to develop their own strong faith.
Here is a picture of the spiritual slide in the generations:
1st Generation: See the miracles and workings of God. They live to please God and not people. They pray, read the Word, worship and are concerned with reaching unchurched people. They are radically generous, love boldly and have great joy in their walk with the Lord.
2nd Generation: They are carried to church but do not see any radical change in their lives. Most of them are "saved" as children. They don't have the personal stories of God working mighty miracles in their lives. They never take a risk with God. They play it safe and live in their comfort zone. This generation then subtly places materialism in the place of God. Comfort, popularity and the dollar occupy the center of their hearts.
3rd Generation: They come to church but question WHY? It's boring; it is hopelessly out of touch. The second generation says, "I know, but come to church anyhow." The 3rd generation watches their parents and sees the inconsistencies and then cries out "hypocrite."
So what is the plan to move our children back to a first generation experience with God? As parents we must "burn out" for Jesus. There is no place for lukewarm, comfortable Christianity in this world. When we think of the cross and the commitment Jesus made for us, this gives us the fuel necessary to make the radical commitment. "Yawning Christianity" is extremely dangerous. If we want the next generation to catch the Christian virus, we must be contagious. The only hope for turning the tide is for us to make a radical commitment to follow Jesus.
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