HOME CENTERED MISSION FIELD
Today’s post might resemble more of a blog rather than a post, but I thought it was worth sharing. The rain is coming down and the fall weather is really starting to settle in. The family is fast asleep yet, my mind is fully awake. Instead of tossing and turning, I have decided to spend my late night with you all.
My scheduled post will be postponed and rather I want to take a short moment and just think out loud and allow you all to know a little bit of what I have realized about Christ recently. In my own Bible study, I have been going over Babylon and the origins and finality of the Great City and the human architect which has plagued our world for so long. However, while seeking through the scripture and looking at each generation, I have started to see a pattern that unfortunately needs to be addressed.
God does not have grandchildren; He only has children.
What do I mean about this? In my pursuit to study Babylon, I have crossed human history from the beginning of time to the coming end of the age, and in doing so I have realized that a believer in Christ can live for Christ and even reflect this to the entire world and yet their children could still reject the Lord. We see this with King Hezekiah, we see this with some of King David’ s sons, and so many other prime examples. It only took a few years in Nehemiah’s day for the people to reject God and start following their own path. Even though the people with Moses lacked the faith to enter the Promised Land, Joshua and the next generation were ready to follow God. What I am trying to say is, no one becomes saved through their parents being saved. Even though I am a father, my children must on their own accord come to the cross as I have personally. My wife is not saved by my faith and our children are not saved by her faith.
Paul in chapter 3 of Romans couldn’t say it any clearer than this, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” God wants all to come to know Him, thus everyone who does is a child and not a grandchild. This might sound strange to say, but as parents our greatest mission field is our children. Many people like to say, “our children are our world” yet when it comes to mission work, we seek outside of our own home, thinking this is where we need to be. This world is failing not because of less missionaries in the world, but because we have less mission work in our homes. Instead of traveling across the world, we have failed to recognize the little ones who need us in the here and now.
Christian parents have a double responsibility to live for Christ. We need to walk in a manner that shows the world who Christ is, but also reflect Christ to our children who are with us. Each day needs to be careful, articulated, and planned out moment by moment ready to take advantage of any time we can point our children back to Jesus Christ.
So during times when you can’t sleep from tossing and turning, take advantage of the moment and pray for your children. Pray for the next generation that they would seek Jesus Christ. While there is nothing wrong with going thousands of miles away for Christ, it is just as important to travel across the house to share Christ with those whom the Lord has blessed us with.
If you are not a parent, pray for the future children you might have one day. Pray for your spouse or future spouse. Pray for the children in your life, pray for the children in your church, pray for the very people in the church that they would not be playing church but rather being the church.
We are responsible for pointing them to the Lord, we can let Him do the rest.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL