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Building a Rock-Solid Legacy of Faith

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Four generations of my family gathered this week at my parents’ home. My mom and dad longed to see their first great-grandchild, but cannot make the long highway drive to go to him. So, I traveled from Houston to Dallas, picked up my daughter Kelley and her one-year old Micah, and together we made the trip to Shreveport.

legacy of faith

My mom, daughter, father, and grandson

It’s a little weird being in the middle of the generational line. I am that proverbial “sandwich.” On one side, I’m pressed by the bittersweet journey of watching my aging parents and all that comes with the process. On the other, stands the joyful excitement of walking with my daughter and son-in-law as they parent my first grandchild.

Cord of Faith

As I contemplate this inevitable life role, I am thankfully aware of an invisible, but strong, cord running both directions. From my parents through me to my daughter and beyond, flows a current of faith in Christ our Savior. It binds our hearts and lives together now and into eternity.

My mother and father’s commitment before my birth to obey God’s call to parents initiated this faith flow. They took God’s Word seriously.

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 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. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9, NIV

My parents’ obedience not only pointed me toward a saving relationship with Christ, it also fostered a desire to continue this legacy of faith as my husband and I raised our own children. And now Kelley and Jeremy embrace the same responsibility with precious Micah.

Leave a Spiritual Legacy

In honor of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, this post is the first in a series about building a legacy of faith in our families. For the rest of May, we will see what the Bible says on the topic and consider practical ways we can foster faith in Christ in the heart of our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and anyone else God has placed into our lives.  I’d love to have you along for the journey!

Did your parents work to pass down a legacy of faith to you? If so, what difference did it make in your life? Have you committed to passing along your faith to the next generation?

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Having the Right Doesn’t Make it Right

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They refused to sit down. Over the course of the first half of the football game several of the older fans around them politely asked the young couple to sit so they could see. But they ignored the requests.

football gameThey didn’t just hop up when something exciting happened. They stood continuously. Which would have been fine on the student side of the field. But alumni, parents, and grandparents filled this side. Many who could not physically stand for long periods of time.

Just before half time a university employee approached the standing pair.  Ah, someone had complained.

Will you please sit so others around you can see?

No. We have every right to stand if we want. We will not sit.

The employee shrugged and turned away.

I’d like to say the situation resolved with civility. Unfortunately, after the couple refused the employee’s request a few of the nearby fans got nasty. People tossed out rude comments. Still others approached them with less than polite demands to sit.

By the time the two football teams headed to the locker room for half time, tears ran down the young woman’s face and her husband looked like he could spit fire.

“Right” Isn’t Necessarily “Right”

Did they have the right to stand for the entire game? Yes. No law against it.

Was it right for them to stand for the entire game? Especially when they knew their actions inconvenienced or harmed others? No.

Graciously letting go of their right for the benefit of others would have been the right thing to do.

What does this have to do with us?

Believers regularly have a similar choice to make. Christ’s sacrifice has set us free from sin, death, and the Law. Our life in Christ grants us great liberty. God has freed us from legalism and guilt. Yet, many things we have the freedom to do may not be God’s best for us – or others around us – in a given situation.

Paul confronts this issue in his first letter to the Christians in Corinth. The specific situation involved eating meat sacrificed to idols. Because an idol of wood has no power, meat sacrificed to it benefits the body the same as other meat. A believer was “free” to eat. However, some believers had trouble with this truth. Seeing a mature believer eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols would have confused and misguided them.

God’s Glory and the Needs of Others

Paul clearly taught a believer’s “freedom” must take a backseat to the well-being of others.

Everything is permissible – but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible – but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others… So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, 31, NIV

When we make decisions regarding our freedom, God’s glory and the needs of others should always be our guiding principles. We may have the right to eat, drink, or act, but is it right? Will our choice glorify God? Will it benefit others?

Have you ever abused your freedom in Christ? What was the result? Have you ever willingly given up a freedom for the benefit of someone else? What was the result?

 

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I’ve Been Contemplating Evil

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Stories of incomprehensible evil saturate recent news. Savage murder, brutality, carnage, and violence roll through the headlines like a tsunami. Jodi Arias, the Boston Bombers, the Gosnell trial, and now Cleveland.

I am overwhelmed with the propensity for evil in the heart of mankind. My mind has been spinning with questions. How can a human being, an individual created in the image of God, snip the spinal cord of a living child and sleep at night? How can a man chain a teenage girl in a basement to use and abuse her for a decade? And where is God while it’s happening?

Yesterday, my daily Bible reading took me to Genesis 6. The text records that in the days of Noah, “man’s wickedness on the earth” was great and “every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). The earth was “corrupt in God’s sight and full of violence… for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways” (Genesis 6:11-12). Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

evilThe condition of the world in Genesis 6 mirrors our world today. Evil multiples. Like yeast in dough, it feeds and breeds and grows. Expanding its reach, touching more places, infecting more lives, wreaking untold havoc.

Noah’s story initiated a search of Scripture to see what God says about evil. I did not get all my questions answered. However, God did ground me once again in His truth through the time in His Word.

Maybe you’ve been having similar thoughts and questions. I hope this small recounting of what God’s Word says about evil will encourage and strengthen you.

The Source and Result of Evil

  • God does not delight in evil. (1 Corinthians 13:6)
  • Evil originates in the heart of sinful man, not with God. (Genesis 6:12, James 1:13-14)
  • Without God, we are slaves to sin and evil, separated from God. (Colossians 1:21, Romans 6:6)
  • By our sinful nature, people turn away from God’s righteous light so their evil deeds are not exposed (John 3:19-20).
  • Rejection of God is a slippery slope that plunges sinful people deeper and deeper into evil and depravity. (Romans 1:21-32)

Rescue from Evil

  • Because God loves us, He sent Jesus to save us from evil and condemnation (John 3:16-17).
  • Jesus came to rescue us from slavery to evil (Galatians 1:4) and reconcile us to God (Colossians 1:22).

God Will Judge Evil

  • God will judge evil. His Word is clear. (Malachi 4:1, 2 Peter 3:3-13, Romans 2:9-10, Matthew 25:41-46)
  • He delays because He is patient and merciful, wanting people to repent. (2 Peter 3:8-9)

What Believers Should Do in the Meantime

  • Do not repay evil with evil (1 Peter 3:9).
  • Do not conform to the world’s evil or give in to our own evil desires (1 Peter 1:14).
  • Turn from evil and do good (1 Peter 3:11).
  • Live holy lives “to speed Christ’s coming” (2 Peter 3:11)

Believers are Protected

  • Evil cannot spiritually harm believers (Matthew 10:28, 1 John 5:18-19).
  • Evil’s actions may impact us physically, but we are spiritually and eternally protected by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:5, Ephesians 1:13-14).

Today’s world is full of examples of what happens when evil is left unchecked, when fleshly, sinful desires are given free reign. The topic of evil raises many questions. But there is only one answer. And His name is Jesus.

Did God’s Word encourage you today? What truth impacted you most and why?

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For Anyone Expecting or Who Expects to be Expecting

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Before you ask – I’m not expecting a baby and don’t expect to be. But, I have “been there and done that” three times. I’m sure I even had some corny t-shirt with something like “Baby on Board” scrawled across the front.

Expectant, Julie SandersHowever, many of you are expecting or know someone who is. Whether it’s your first, second, or fifth, big changes are ahead. It’s really impossible to fully know what to expect. That’s why I’ve invited my wise friend Julie Sanders to visit with us today about her brand new book “Expectant: 40 Devotions for New and Expectant Moms.”

Julie’s first baby has grown up and gone off to college and the second is close behind. Having a baby looked different than she expected, but the motherhood journey has exceeded all she imagined. As a pastor’s wife, Bible teacher, and women’s ministry leader, Julie enjoys walking the path of motherhood with moms in all seasons.

Julie, how is motherhood different than you expected?

Julie Sanders, ExpectantI knew I would love our children, but I never imagined how much I would enjoy our children. Every season has been amazing, but moving through the changes of childhood, along with the accidents and surprises, has kept me prayerful. Being a mom is great for your prayer life!

Being a mom has stretched me more personally than I ever expected. God uses motherhood to expose my weaknesses, my failures, and my sin. While I’ve been watching our kids grow, God has been growing my heart and life.

What was most difficult for you during the “young years?”  How did you grow as a mother?

When I delivered our first baby, nothing happened the way we anticipated. I was left with fear and disappointment, and it took a long time for me to feel whole again. Feeling fragile was not only hard, it wasn’t what I expected.

I always wanted to have children, but I also loved being a teacher. Making a transition to spending the day with the baby at home was not as easy as I thought it would be, and before long I found myself overcommitted and worn out. I was challenged to take a close look at where I found my identity and where I placed my trust. Motherhood turned out to be as much about growing me as growing our children.

Your website is called Come have a Peace. How do you find peace as a mother?

God means for us to live out our days experiencing His peace in the practical, real life, relational stuff. For a mom, it seems impossible sometimes, but we don’t have to live in discouragement. God desire to fill us with peace, and Jesus said we find it in Him, (John 16:33). Mamas need that message all day, every day, and often through the night.

God has used major transitions, distance from family, and multiple crises in our lives to show me my “peaceful mom’s heart” does not depend on my circumstances. I’ve become a “pray all day” kinda mom who cries out often and openly to the only perfect Parent we know, God Himself. I’ve learned to give myself a lot of grace, not expect perfection, and to refuse to compare myself to moms around me.  And I give our kids a lot of grace, trying to keep the “big picture” in mind as God unfolds His plans for them.

In Expectant, Julie honestly shares her heart, her own experiences, and the truth of God’s Word to encourage young women as they enter into motherhood. The devotions are organized into sections about you, other grown-ups, the baby, and your new normal. Each one includes words from scripture to grow your heart, as well as questions to get the conversation started with a friend, mentor, or dad-to-be. It’s formatted so that it would be easy to do with a partner or small group of moms.

Connect with Julie at her website Come Have a Peace, where she offers peace for your days by sharing God’s truth for the things of life, marriage, and motherhood. As you grow your family, she will help you grow your Expectant heart on the journey of motherhood.

Find Julie on Twitter at @JulieSanders_ and join in the conversations about EXPECTANT on Facebook. Purchase the Kindle version now!

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At the Risk of Sounding Intolerant

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Do many paths lead to God?If I wanted to drive from my home in Houston to Midland, out in west Texas, where I used to live, I’d have lots of options. There’s really no one best way to go. I could head west on I-10 through San Antonio before cutting north. Or I could head due north out of Houston all the way to Dallas on I-45 before taking I-20 west all the way to Midland.

And that’s just the interstate routes. The secondary highways offer endless options. Every member of my family could choose a different way to travel and we’d all end up in Midland within a few hours of each other. Different paths, same destination.

True if you want to get from Houston to Midland. Not so true if you want to get to God.

The Lie of Religious Pluralism

Unfortunately, the world embraces “religious pluralism.” This lie teaches that all paths lead to God, that all religions are equally valid ways to approach Him, and that no one religion has the monopoly on truth.

It all sounds very inclusive, very tolerant, very accepting.

There’s just one problem with this philosophy. God doesn’t agree.

Just because people want something to be true or whole-heartedly believe it to be true, does not make it true. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death (Proverbs 16:25).

The Narrow Truth of God’s Word

Only the One who is Truth can determine truth. Here’s just a sample of what God says is true:

  • There is only one way. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
  • There is only one name. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12
  • There is only one source of eternal life. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

All paths do not lead to God.

This is not my opinion. This is not simply my version of truth.

This is God’s declared truth. God’s rules. And He has every right to make the rules.

Christians who hold firm to God’s declared truth are labeled as intolerant, narrow-minded, radical, and backward.

Side with Truth

Oh believer, do not yield to the pressure of our society to conform to the lie of religious tolerance. Do not hold your tongue while people around you are dying without hope.

God asks us to share His truth. Pronounce the hope that’s in Christ alone. Share the message of life with a dying world. And so we must.

Have you ever been ridiculed for declaring God’s truth? Have you ever yielded to the “wisdom” of the world and compromised God’s truth?

For more thorough information about this topic check out these great posts:

 

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