Family gatherings are traditionally occasions for bonding, lengthening the ties to envelop the future generations. Memories are opened and shared as ways to remember who we were and who we are, what we experienced and how we endured. Shared through stories, they embody the love, jokes, facts, and challenges of the family’s history. They are times to reflect on the goodness of others, be thankful, and solidify unity.
When God the Father is a part of your family, how wonderful it is to share with each other the bonds of the family of God! We can pass on to the future generations how God has worked in ourselves and in our family. We can hold out the hope of God continuing to work in us and through us as we live in submission to him.
Recounting God’s goodness so that future generations will know him, praise him, and trust him is echoed in the message of Psalm 145. Verses three, four, and twenty (NIV): “Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your work to another; they tell of your mighty acts... The LORD watches over all who trust him, but all the wicked he will destroy.”
That last phrase is a harsh reality. How desperately do you want to pass on God’s faithfulness and truths to your future generation?
If you are not actively sharing the hope of Jesus with them and daily infusing God’s truths and goodness, who will?
Beware - the culture is sharing the opposite! Not only is our culture proclaiming false narratives and opposition to God’s truths, but it is also readily sharing that and infusing that into the media and schools. If our eyes are closed, we do not acknowledge it, but it is still actively happening.
Let your family know how great God is by not only watching you invest in your faith daily, but also by hearing you bring into conversation God’s truths. Let them sense your humility before the Lord as you seek peace, reconciliation, joy, and hope. Recount aloud how God has worked throughout history so you can display his faithfulness and trustworthiness. Teach the next generation the accounts of old, showcasing God’s mighty works, mercy, love, and discipline of his people.
May your future generations know who God is so they will put their faith and trust in Jesus.