What are you doing to reach the next generation?

As a parent, one thing scares me more than anything else. I wouldn’t call it a constant fear. But, it’s definitely a concern. What if my daughter grows up not loving Jesus Christ? What if her generation is the one that gives away some of the freedoms they have as Americans? What if knowing God is somehow irrelevant as she grows older?

More than once I’ve been told by a friend I make way too much of this. But, between the history of the Israelites in the Old Testament and the thoughts and actions of many of today’s youth, am I? Yes, I can do all that I can to lead by example. Lil  will never have to look far for the cross at our house. My wife and I are devout Catholics. Because I love expository preaching, I’m also at a non-denominational church most weekends.

My daughter already knows the importance of prayer and that Jesus is our Savior. That being said, every day we hear examples of people’s faith being unable to withstand the world. There’s no guarantee the Christian faith will be as important to my daughter as it is to me. Heck, there’s no promise that being a Christian will even be accepted by the time she reaches adulthood.

As Christians, we have to be doing something for the faith of the next generation. This isn’t a task that should be left up to the leaders of the church, regardless of the denomination you belong to. As followers of Jesus, it’s on us to make sure we’re pointing our children towards the cross in everything we do.

I fail at this on a daily basis. Yes, I make sure my daughter sees me pray. She knows what the Bible is on my desk. That being said, there’s so much more I could be doing to instill a stronger faith in her heart. Only Jesus can save her and grant her salvation. But, it’s on me and her momma to make sure she knows just how much being a Christian means to us.

Deuteronomy 6:6&7        And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Notice in this passage, it doesn’t say, “Take your kids to church every week and make sure they are listening to the pastor or priest.” We’re not being instructed to, “Make sure you find your child a Sunday school teacher who’ll teach your children how to live by God’s commandments.” No. We're told that we are to “diligently” teach them to our kids.

This doesn’t mean we should read Scripture to our kids before they fall asleep. This isn’t accomplished by making our children pray before they eat. Yes, those are excellent places to start. But that doesn’t teach our children that being a Christian is to be the most important part of who they are as individuals. It teaches our kids to force themselves to read a book before falling asleep and to pray before eating.

As parents, we need to talk to our kids while they’re young about the cross and how horrible Jesus’ death was. They need to know that sin put God’s Son on a piece of wood and every one of us is a sinner. It wasn’t sunshine and rainbows when Noah and his family boarded the ark. The next generation needs to know the depravity Jesus has saved us from so they know where to turn when there’s nowhere else to go.

We don’t have to look very far to see how it all ends when teaching our children about God becomes unimportant. We’re not left to wonder what happens when Christianity loses its value and necessity in our society.

Judges 2:10        And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.

Don’t sit there and tell me these are Old Testament “stories” that were erased by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These were real-life events that are contained in Scripture for us remember. These are true examples of what happens when God simply becomes someone we pray to instead of who we live for.

I don’t want to be political, but things are changing. If you’re unable to see it, you need to pay attention. Yes, I’m grown and there isn’t anyone in D.C. who’s going to say something slick and change how I feel about Jesus. But, I can’t say that about my daughter yet. Before I blink too many times, she’s going to be a teenager and boys are going to start sniffing around our house to see where her heart and mind is at.

She’s going to have a class full of kids telling her what’s cool and unpopular and if I don’t have the seed of Scripture planted inside of her, things are going to get ugly quick. I have to make sure she knows there’s a plan and purpose for her life and Jesus has something amazing He wants her to accomplish for His glory, not the fame of who she is or her last name.

So, my point. How important is your faith and what you believe to you? What are you doing to share that with the next generation? Even if you’re single and don’t have kids, what are you doing to point someone else’s child towards the cross? Regardless of which body of Christ you belong to, it takes a church to raise a child. What are you doing? What’s your part?