"We will tell the next generation..."

I'm an American, and our country has been on a steady moral decline for some time now. This is something that weighs heavily on my heart. Once deemed a country "Under God," it has become increasingly clear that God no longer holds the seat of honor of this nation. Our government has removed God from our schools, sexual immorality runs rampant and is encouraged by our media, abortion, violence and division plague our streets. One state has even passed a law that could essentially ban the Bible despite the nations declaration of "Freedom of Religion."(AB 2943)

I look at my brothers in sisters in other countries who are being persecuted for their faith and can't help but cry out to God in gratitude, because our family is still able to freely practice our beliefs. Jesus warns un in Matthew 10:22 that we will be hated because we follow him, and I wonder - How long will my children be able to worship God freely? How long do we have before America joins in on the Christian persecution? And what can I do to prepare them for the world ahead?

"My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done." Psalm 78 1:4

Psalm 78 is the inspiration of my next few posts because I believe it holds the key to helping the next generation of believers thrive in a world that is out to get them. Asaph starts this chapter by declaring that he will educate the next generation about God's goodness, works and forgiveness - something that is occurring less and less in our modern day world.

As parents, we do everything in our power to make sure that our children are fed and clothed, but their spiritual needs are often neglected. As the morality of the world around us crumbles little by little, it will be our children's spiritual endurance, not their physical strength that gets them through through the hard times. The truth is, satisfying the spiritual appetite of our children is actually MORE important than meeting their physical needs. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." God's word is our eternal power supply, food just fuels us from day to day. Now, I am by no means stating that we should neglect our children's physical needs - please feed your children - but be sure to feed them spiritually as well.

Even the best church program can't prepare your kids for the world ahead of them. Children need to be educated about God in your home on a daily basis - and more importantly then need to be shown who God is by our actions. Too many followers today are tepid. I know many that go to church on Sunday and then live like the world the rest of the week. This lukewarmness is an epidemic that has severely impacted the way our faith, and more importantly our Savior, is viewed by those who don't know Him. It also creates a new generation of followers that either pursue God even less than their parents did, or abandon the faith completely due to the hypocrisy they've experienced first hand in their own homes. We need to encourage our children's spiritual growth, but we can't do this when our own hearts aren't focused on the Lord.

Over the next few days I encourage you to examine your hearts and how you witness to your children. Spend some time in prayer and ask Jesus to create opportunities to share your faith with them.