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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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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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Some Rambling Thoughts about Excess and Where They Might be Leading

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Warning. I’m going to ramble today. I’m not sure where my thoughts are headed, but I know God wants me to explore them.

Over the last few years, I’ve grown increasingly uncomfortable over not only the excess of our culture, but also the excess in my own life.

Some of the signs of my personal excess? Jeans a bit too tight, spoiling food in the fridge, and caffeine addiction. Empty rooms in the house, but no empty hangers in the closet.

The contemplation escalated when my husband set a tentative retirement date. We began talking more about the details. Where will we live? How much money will be required for our twilight years? What kind of house do we “need?”

The conversations with my husband sparked additional thoughts. How much is enough? How do we define “need?” How much should we keep and how much should we give?

Same message of “excess” from different directions

God has repeatedly called the issue to my attention. About a month ago, I saw Mike Huckabee interview Francis Chan. The pastor talked honestly about his own journey to downsize his family’s life. To make room for others and their needs.

Last week the ladies Bible study coordinator at church handed me a copy of “The 7 Experiment” by Jen Hatmaker to review for possible use. I knew immediately it wasn’t a coincidence. Here’s the description on the back of the book:

Fight back against overindulgence, materialism, and greed by joining Jen Hatmaker in “The 7 Experiment.” This 9-session Bible study will teach you how to stage a mutiny against excess in seven critical areas of life. Food. Clothes. Possessions. Media. Waste. Spending. Stress. Come honest and ready to untangle the clutter in your life. Discover how temporarily disengaging from excess can allow God’s heart to break through your stuff and open your eyes to the things that really matter.

Hmm. I think she’s got something. “Stuff” can easily get in the way of real, spiritual substance.

Warning about excess from God’s Word too

This morning I read this from the pen of Peter:

As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness. And by that same mighty power, He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His divine nature. So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life.

2 Peter 1:3-5a, NLT

God calls us to lives of holiness through a growing knowledge of Christ. But the “decadence” or “corruption” of the world can easily get in the way.  Our desire for physical things enslaves us. It holds our thoughts, time, and energy captive.  The craving for “more” feeds the diseased condition of our souls like sugar feeds yeast.

At the least, the clutter of “excess” distracts us from doggedly pursuing the things of God. But the potential for much worse crouches near. Ignoring those in need.

I don’t know where this exploration is headed. I long to want to follow wherever God leads. Will it be a physical reduction of the material things in my life? Perhaps. Will it include purposefully seeking out those in need? Likely. But, I’m not sure yet of all the ramifications.

Let’s talk about this today:

  • Have you had any of the same thoughts?
  • Do you see excess in your own life?
  • How does our materialistic culture affect our faith?
  • And most importantly, what do we need to do about it?

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Some Rambling Thoughts about Excess and Where They Might Be Leading

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Warning. I’m going to ramble today. I’m not sure where my thoughts are headed, but I know God wants me to explore them.

Over the last few years, I’ve grown increasingly uncomfortable over not only the excess of our culture, but also the excess in my own life.

Some of the signs of my personal excess? Jeans a bit too tight, spoiling food in the fridge, and caffeine addiction. Empty rooms in the house, but no empty hangers in the closet.

excess, materialismThe contemplation escalated when my husband set a tentative retirement date. We began talking more about the details. Where will we live? How much money will be required for our twilight years? What kind of house do we “need?”

The conversations with my husband sparked additional thoughts. How much is enough? How do we define “need?” How much should we keep and how much should we give?

Same message of “excess” from different directions

God has repeatedly called the issue to my attention. About a month ago, I saw Mike Huckabee interview Francis Chan. The pastor talked honestly about his own journey to downsize his family’s life. To make room for others and their needs.

Last week the ladies Bible study coordinator at church handed me a copy of “The 7 Experiment” by Jen Hatmaker to review for possible use. I knew immediately it wasn’t a coincidence. Here’s the description on the back of the book:

Fight back against overindulgence, materialism, and greed by joining Jen Hatmaker in “The 7 Experiment.” This 9-session Bible study will teach you how to stage a mutiny against excess in seven critical areas of life. Food. Clothes. Possessions. Media. Waste. Spending. Stress. Come honest and ready to untangle the clutter in your life. Discover how temporarily disengaging from excess can allow God’s heart to break through your stuff and open your eyes to the things that really matter.

Hmm. I think she’s got something. “Stuff” can easily get in the way of real, spiritual substance.

Warning about excess from God’s Word too

This morning I read this from the pen of Peter:

As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness. And by that same mighty power, He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His divine nature. So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life.

2 Peter 1:3-5a, NLT

God calls us to lives of holiness through a growing knowledge of Christ. But the “decadence” or “corruption” of the world can easily get in the way.  Our desire for physical things enslaves us. It holds our thoughts, time, and energy captive.  The craving for “more” feeds the diseased condition of our souls like sugar feeds yeast.

At the least, the clutter of “excess” distracts us from doggedly pursuing the things of God. But the potential for much worse crouches near. Ignoring those in need. Being consumed by greed and selfishness.

I don’t know where this exploration is headed. I long to want to follow wherever God leads. Will it be a physical reduction of the material things in my life? Perhaps. Will it include purposefully seeking out those in need? Likely. But, I’m not sure yet of all the ramifications.

Let’s talk about this today:

  • Have you had any of the same thoughts?
  • Do you see excess in your own life?
  • How does our materialistic culture affect our faith?
  • And most importantly, what do we need to do about it?

Share and Enjoy