Last week I wrote a post about the next generation after spending time at Hershey Park with our daughters. A dear reader of mine sent me the following email after reading this post.
While I was eating my lunch, I read 1 Corinthians 1 :18-31
Isn't it true, that for us who are being saved by the cross it really is the power of God! The world thinks I'm so foolish to think I can afford to adopt, but for me it is the power of God working in my checkbook. The world thinks it is foolish to bring my kids to the Philippines, but for me it is the power of God to let them love as God loves and to experience His love in an orphanage. The world thinks it is so foolish for me to home-school, but for me it is the power of God working in my family. The world thinks it is so foolish for me to not earn money, but for me it is the power of God working for my joy. The world thinks it is so foolish for me to be an introvert, but for me it is the power of God working in my peaceful heart as He created me. The world thinks it is foolishness to take your daughter out to breakfast, but for me it is the power of God tying heart strings between me and my daughters. The world thinks it is foolish to give up the mountains and the ocean for a church, but for me it is the power of God working in my life, growing me and healing me from all the foolishness of this world. The world thinks it is foolishness to read the bible day after day, but for me it is the life changing power of God. The world thinks it is foolishness to love in selfless ways, but for me it is the power of God giving me honor and glory.
The world thinks it is foolishness to like me or to want me or to care about me. "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of HIM that I am in Christ Jesus!!!!!"
AMEN!
I can only speak from our personal experience and what I know is that unless you begin early teaching your children that He is enough – the world quickly sucks them into believing He is not enough. The world around them is trying to convince them how much they need and deserve.
That thinking and training breeds a generation into believing it is owed something versus believing they can do something worth while or give back what has been so freely given to them.
I have been singing Chris Tomlin’s song over and over again since our trip to Hershey Park* last week and thinking about how important it is that our children see me living this out to its fullest meaning. That I show them He is more than enough for me and them.
I am asking God to show me all the ways that I live in such a way that is not teaching them to look upon Jesus and trust in His all sufficient grace and love - as enough!
The world does believe we are fools for living without things or our lack of desire to keep up with the Jones'. But what they don’t understand is this simple truth – Jesus warns all those who call themselves a follower of His and believe upon Him -
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15 and verse 16 continues…
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
In order to teach our children this truth – we must NOT be lovers of this world and choose to look different and not fit in with what everyone else says is OK, normal and good for us. We must define ourselves by what God says is good, holy, pure and right.
We must raise our children to understand what it means to love all but not desire to be like all.
We must raise our children to understand what it means to live in this world but not become it.
We must raise our children to know the truth and desire to share it with the world.
We must raise our children to seek God’s best and trust His way is to prosper them, a plan for a good future filled with hope!
We must raise our children to believe they are worth more than precious silver or gold.
We must raise our children to dress in such a way that honors our King and Father in heaven.
We must raise our children to be wise and discerners of truth, good and evil.
We must raise our children to use God’s word in love to build others up and give them the hope in Christ Jesus.
If we do anything less we are training them to fit in with the world. We are training them to be enemies of God and seek the things that will surely burn when they stand before Him one day.
Honestly friends, no matter how much you wanted something and how hard you worked for it – sooner or later it lost its worth and importance to you.
Things of eternal importance never lose their value or worth.
We are not teaching our children to work for His approval – because it is already earned – Christ paid the full price for their lives! We are teaching our children they are working from that dept paid and His unfailing love for them. They don’t have to be the like world trying to earn more, get more and be more – they are already worth more to God than anything this world could ever offer them or us.
Isn’t it time we starting to live like our worth?
Time for each of us to wear our royal crown and live worthy of our King - walking in His grace and love – for all to taste and see just how good our God is!
I would love to hear from all of you – how can we come alongside this generation and help them become the change we all want to see?
No comments:
Post a Comment