Thesis 76 We must believe that blessing comes to our children as they learn to honor their parents.
While there is surely no neutral ground in the ongoing battle between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, there are those places where the image of God remains comparatively strong even among those outside His saving grace. Mothers, like the rest of us, are sinners sure enough. But a mother’s love for her child is something that extends well beyond the confines of the church. Parents, as a general rule, believers and unbelievers alike agree, want to see their children live good lives.
Where the antithesis comes in is two-fold. First, what do we mean by good lives, and second, what is the path to getting there? Sadly, the church may be at its most worldly right here, agreeing with the world as to what the good life looks like and how to get there. The American Dream works something like this- work hard in school. That will enable you to attend a more competitive college. That will give you a leg up on the best grad schools, which will clear the path for the best jobs. Then you’ll be able to live in the best neighborhoods where your children can get a good education. Why? So they can attend a more competitive college, which gives them a leg up… ad nauseam. I call this hell’s hamster wheel. We need to get off.
According to the Word of God the good life is not measured by bank accounts or educational opportunities, but by walking with our Lord. It comes from following the path He has set out for us, in submission to His law. Which brings us to how we get there.
God’s Word, right out in the open, in a passage virtually everyone is familiar with, tells us where that path is. He says in Exodus 20:12, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” There it is, the secret to a good life. Understand that “that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you” isn’t a promise just for those first to enter into the Promised Land. The promise is for all of Abraham’s children, including us.
It’s kind of scary, isn’t it? Wouldn’t we feel just a bit more secure if we knew our children had secured a good job? Is it, after all, safe to trust in something as amorphous and ephemeral as God’s promises? Surely He wants our children to prosper. Surely He knows they’ll do that if we help them secure skills that are in great demand. All my friends are building their children’s homes right here on this lovely beach. Nice houses too.
The storm clouds are already on the way. The thunder is no longer distant. To reform the church we must build our homes upon the Rock. We must teach our children to honor their parents, and rest knowing this is the path to His blessing. Nothing else will do.