Tuesday
LEAVE A GREAT HERITAGE TO YOUR CHILDREN
We have a couple who are family friends. They both, husband and wife are real entrepreneur. They work hard and he makes business out of things that we would never think of. They both find ways to make very good money.
This couple has four children. They work really hard and make very good amount of money so that, one day, they may leave all of them to their children. They would like to leave a great heritage for their children that they may live a life comfort without worrying for their needs or their children’s needs.
Our friends are not only trying hard to make a good business they also teach their children how to make one. They don’t want their children to take the heritage they will receive from their parents for granted. They work hard to train their children for hard work, to make money; and to spend it carefully. They expect them that they will grow the business that they inherited and not to shrink it.
I think most of us will be agree with our friends on working hard to leave a good financial heritage for their children and also teaching their children not to take it for granted.
Have you ever thought about your faith as a heritage? Is faith something that you receive from others or build up and then pass on to next generations? Yes it’s. That is why the Bible talks about teaching our faith to our children. Deuteronomy 11:19 says “Teach them (God’s law and godly living) to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (New Living Translation). Proverb 22:6 says that: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (NKJV)
The book of Nahum talks about a nation which was saved by the grace of God once and then turned to idols and wicked lifestyle a few decades later. Their forefathers were saved, this is what we learn from Jesus: In Mat 12:41 He says that: “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah…” But, God, now talks to the people of Nineveh again 150 years later and say “Behold, I am against you …” (Nah 2:13). And even He says that “Your name (Nineveh) shall be perpetuated no longer…”
Therefore, it’s our responsibility to carry the faith we receive from our forefathers or others and pass on to the next generations. We need to teach our children not only having a faith in Jesus Christ but also living with this faith and for this faith. One of the great examples of a father leaving a spiritual heritage to his son is Paul. Although he was the spiritual father for Timothy, he invested so much in him. Paul travelled with Timothy and ministered with him. He thought Timothy everything he knew and played great example before him. At the end of his time, now, Paul had a great heritage to leave to Timothy and expected him to pass it onto others.
I suggest you read Paul’s letters to Timoty with this in mind. Especially second Timothy talks about what Paul has invested in Timothy and what he expects of him. Here are some examples of it: (2Ti 3:10) “you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, … what persecutions I endured. (14) But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make a you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (4:2) Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. (5) But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Pastor Ali Kalkandelen
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