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Faith and Heritage - Part 1:
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your handAgainst the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands” Psalm 138:7-8 (NKJV).
An “inherited” religious identity contribute to the maturation and flourishing of the individual and their faith in the long run. Howeve, this experience compare with that of people who come to Christianity on their own, without positive faith influences in childhood or later in life. Many young adult believers say so that Christianity was “passed down” to them by a particular relative (59%), though sometimes another family member was exploring faith around the same time as the respondent (11%). More than half of those who report growing up in the faith (57%) say they were Christian at the time of their birth, a response that is revealing either of their theology or of how extensively Christianity permeated their upbringing. A third of respondents came to faith for reasons other than a positive interaction in their upbringing, including one in four (23%) who says it occurred in spite of a negative example of Christianity in the home. Typically, individuals without strong family roots in the religion say they became Christians later in their youth or, as is the case for 55 percent of this group, during adulthood. Practicing Christians most often credit their parents as the individuals who helped impart faith to them. In this and other responses throughout the study, it appears that spiritual development in the home is driven by mothers. Two-thirds (68%) say they were most influenced by the Christian model of their mothers, compared to less than half (46%) who point to their fathers. More than a third (37%) looks back further into their lineage, to the spiritual influence of their grandparents, usually a grandmother.
Faith and Heritage - Part 2:
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“For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” Genesis 18:19 (NKJV).
Most people do not look at faith as a draw back is to do dishonor to our heritage. heritage, they look at it as an experiment. When Jesus returns to this earth, He is not coming for those who have tried to live by faith, but rather for those who have followed a consistent “lifestyle of faith.” Most of the time in the Bible you will find God speaking in terms of at least three generations: “I am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob.” I believe the reason is this: once a lifestyle is adopted by at least three consecutive generations of people, there is a strong likelihood that it will be perpetuated. If God can get me to live by faith and my children to live by faith, and my children’s children to live by faith, it is likely that from now until Jesus comes, the Savelle household will be people of faith. God wants you and me to live by faith not just because it works, but because He is establishing a heritage. For us to draw back is to do dishonor to our heritage. Why did God record everything Abraham did? Because He wanted to establish a heritage of faith. Abraham is called “the father of faith” not simply because he exercised faith in God, but because he perpetuated that faith through his descendants. This is where Noah failed. Although Noah acted in faith during his own lifetime, he failed to perpetuate that life of faith in his sons and their sons after them. As the children of God, you and I are to create and demonstrate a lifestyle of faith in our homes. In many families, the children see Christianity demonstrated only on Sundays and special occasions. The only time they see their parents praying is just before a meal. The only time they see them reading the Bible is on Saturday night in last-minute preparation for Sunday school the next day. Most children who see such a double standard being set before them grow up not wanting to have anything to do with that kind of empty, hypocritical lifestyle. In developing this lifestyle of walking by faith: talk faith everyday, every hour and every minute of the day. When you wake up every morning, speak about your faith. When you prepare for the night, speak about the faith you stood on throughout the day. Whenever you open your mouth to speak: speak about faith with confidence and conviction. So, when you demonstrate this kind of lifestyle of faith before our family and have passed this heritage of faith down to our children and grandchildren, the Lord has promised that He will bring us into a place in which everything we need will be provided for us.
Faith and Heritage - Part 3:
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“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever;With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever;Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens” Psalm 89:1-2 (NKJV).
When faith has healed your body, your mind, your marriage, your family and your finances, when it has provided you a place to live and clothes to wear and a car to drive and food to eat, then it will be too late for anyone to try to convince you that it is not necessary to live by and pass on your glorious heritage of faith. The reason that Peter called this faith “precious,” because it is a spiritual heirloom passed down from one generation to another. It is my responsibility to pass down this precious heritage to my children. Believers are accountable and responsible by God not only to passing the life of faith to my children, but also for seeing to it that they, in turn, pass it down to their children. It is a faith history, and it is recorded in the Bible. For example, we are descended from a man called Abraham who had the audacity to believe God that he was going to be the father of nations when he knew full well that in his body he was as good as dead.We have another ancestor named Daniel who had so much faith in God that when he was thrown to the lions because of his faithfulness to the Lord, he was able to lie down beside the savage beasts and go to sleep in peace and security.Another of our ancestors by the name of Elijah prophesied to the king of the land that there would be no rain for months until he had decreed an end to the drought, then it happened just as he said it would. This same man was so strong in faith and endurance that he once outran the king's horses and chariots. We have another ancestor named Samson who was so powerful that when the Holy Ghost came upon him, he would uproot city gates, slay a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey and rip apart lions with his bare hands. You and your family should have a wonderful heritage and legacy of faith. And it is faith that activates God, that gives Him access on the earth, that moves His hands to intervene on behalf of those in need.
Passing Down a Legacy of Faith:
“Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” Deuteronomy 7:9 (NKJV).
All believers would probably all like to provide a large inheritance, but there’s something even more valuable, a spiritual legacy. Paul admired the faith heritage that was passed down to Timothy by his mother and grandmother. Although, Eunice and Lois could not bestow salvation on Timothy, they modeled their faith in God and His Word. Timothy’s greatest inheritance was spiritual instruction and godly examples from these influential women. Mothers and fathers who desire to pass along a faith legacy will make the following values part of their life:
(1) Principles:
Know and practice biblical principles. Parents can’t pass down what they don’t possess, but those who love and obey God’s Word will eagerly share what they’ve learned.
(2) Pattern:
Apply scriptural principles to your life and live them out in front of your children. A consistent pattern of obedience to God inspires children to seek Him, whereas saying one thing but doing another sets a poor example.
(3) Persistence:
Never give up in your attempts to impart spiritual knowledge and insight, this is truly a wise habit to passed down for generations. Parents must set out to instill immoral and spiritual core values necessary to become godly adult. To teach a particular lesson, in which keep telling and showing your children and grandchildren until they have gotten the message. It’s never too late to begin crafting a faithful heritage, just like Timoth’s mother and grandmother, and also not settle for merely raising our children to adulthood without any sufficient level of faith. Instead, our goal should be to become godly examples who inspire and teach them to love unconditionally while following after Christ. God wants you and be to live by the faith of our ancestors and to pass it on to our descendants to that those who come after us will know and experience this wonderful gift, a marvelous heritage of faith. All believers should and must encourage their children to do as God instructed us from the beginning, sit them all down and share with them their precious heritage. Reveal to them the vitality and importance of living by faith and not just experimenting with it. Most of all uphold a lifestyle of faith before your children and your grandchildren so that this faith can be perpetuated in your family for generations to come. Declare that your family is a household of faith, and faith should be passed down as a legacy to each and every generation.