When my son was small, he adored Star Trek: The Next Generation, a new take on a much beloved old series.
At a dedication service, we inevitably think about the next generation, and tonight we looked at the idea of ‘a living legacy’ – what are we actually passing on to the next generation? How are we keeping our faith alive and giving our young people a grasp on reality? (see Prov 1:1-6, The Message)
Moses made it clear that we have a duty to pass on what we have seen and experienced of God to our children and their children (see Deut 4:9, Deut 11:18-21). That must include truth (not a popular concept these days, but Jesus made it clear He is the way, the truth and the life), passion (for our faith must have the fire and wind of the Holy Spirit if we are to see others won to Christ) and experience (sharing our testimony of what God has done for us.)
Three key things we must pass on as our legacy include:
- God Matters. God is at the centre of the universe, not man. Each child comes into the world convinced the world should revolve around them, but we have to teach our children that God is the most important One of all. The most important commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. (Mk 12:30)We need to have God at the centre of our lives. Only when He is at the centre, in the driving seat, will we really understand what life means and where it’s going, because He is in charge of life and where it’s going. If we try to understand life without God, as atheists and humanists do, we will end up confused, bewildered, depressed and without hope. If life is as meaningless and pointless and random as they say, we will be people without meaning, purpose and hope, and that is a recipe for disaster.
- People Matter. Life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. (Luke 12:15) and we have to teach our children that people matter more than things. We can’t serve both God and money (Matt 6:24) and have to understand the dangers of fixing our hearts on wealth and possessions (see 1 Tim 6:6-10). Being a good parent is about more than providing ‘the best’ for our children; it’s about teaching them to love well and live well amongst other people
- Character Matters. We all have aspirations and ambitions for our children, but we have to understand that who we are is more important than what we do. Children very easily see through pretence and hypocrisy, so the challenge is for us to live authentic, whole lives of integrity, where we understand that God’s primary goal is for us to be conformed to the image of His Son. (Rom 8:28-29) We have to live out our faith consistently, practising what we preach if we are to convince others of the truths of the gospel. We are ‘living letters’ that others read. (2 Cor 3:3)