Sunday, Anne Graham Lotz brought a powerful word to OCBF about passing down the legacy of faith and the gift of the gospel. Every now and again, my heart pulls me back to a gospel track from my childhood. I’ll get this feeling in spirit and say, “Oh, this is what they (the old folks) was talking about!” I have had the privilege of growing up in a family 5 living generations deep on my maternal side from the day I was born. My great-great grandmother lived through my early mid-teens. Her daughter’s (my grandmother’s mom) house was the family hang out after church. We did a portrait when I was about five of all the first daughters, from my great-great grandmother down to me (I’ll try to find out who has a copy and will insert it below later). Of course, I had to be the one to interrupt the generational first-daughter flow, and without children of my own, I do a lot of contemplating about who will I pass on my life lessons to. I have a plethora of nieces and nephews, but I think anyone who has children in this current generation can agree that they are…different. I can attest that after spending more than two decades being of the world, the foundation of my upbringing came back into focus. So, I think about my nieces, nephews, and cousins and I can’t help but wonder if their current state is a result of my generation being unsuccessful at creating an environment where they can see us living out our faith.

It can be discouraging to know you came from a generation of believers, speakers and doers of God’s word, and somehow, it has less oomph than it ever had before, to the point of feeling that someday it may just disappear. After hearing that word yesterday, I KNOW for certain I need to do more to impact the future generations, especially for my own family. I was reminded of 2 Timothy chapter 1 where Paul encourages Timothy, affirming he comes from a line of faithful believers, and has the gift himself.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Tim 1:6-7 NIV)

With so much chaos and spiritual warfare around us everyday, it can be disheartening. It is clear that we should keep our embers of faith re-ignited throughout our lifetime so that the ones who are watching can visually observe us living out God’s word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are ready to re-dedicate your life to Christ, or need to learn more about what having salvation through Jesus Christ means, click here. Have a wonderful week!