This is an excerpt from a book I have that is titled, "Moments Together For Couples" by Dennis & Barbara Rainey. An excellent book that has helped Charlie & I through many things in our 11 year marriage. Read along and really try to take in what they are saying in this devotional:
"Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth...yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
Dag Hammarskjold, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, once said, "You cannot play with the animal in you without becoming wholly animal; play with falsehood without forfeiting your right to truth; play with cruelty without losing your sensitivity of mind. He who wants to keep his garden tidy doesn't reserve a plot for weeds."
Did you know that what you grow and cultivate in your garden today could spread to your offspring? Did you know that a sin you now tolerate could still be tormenting your great-grandchildren in the year 2140? That's four generations from now!
Consider the warning of Scripture at the top of this page. What does it mean? Why would God set up a system that visits one generation's sins on three or four other generations? I have a hunch that God is trying to tell us that the way we live impacts others and is of supreme importance to Him. Possibly He's using a warning of future judgement on our descendants to keep us on the straight and narrow today.
Whether you like it or not, your children are becoming just like you. Their little eyes are watching to see how you relate to your mate, how you pray, how you walk with Christ on a daily basis. They hear your words and subconsciously mimic your attitudes , actions and even your mannerisms.
And as time goes by you'll find that they've inherited some of the same tendencies towards sin that you learned from your own parents. That's why so many children from broken homes, for example, grow up and fail in their own marriages.
Your kids will grow up to be like you. Is that a sobering thought, or an encouraging one?
*Well, I just felt like God was leading me to post this today. It helped me realize a lot of problems that I am dealing with right now are going to affect my children in the future. That is a very sobering thought, indeed. But, it is also encouraging to know and realize that hopefully because of my love for the Lord, that our children will grow up to love the Lord their God. Amazing, isn't it?
Hope this helps you & I will try to post the second part of this devotional tomorrow or Friday. God Bless.
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