One of the most fascinating sports events during my school days was relay race. It is very exciting to watch how the runners exchange the baton. Passing the spiritual heritage from one generation to the next generation is much more thrilling than this. There is no greater joy than to see that our children are walking in the truth (3 John v 4).

Family is the functional unit of a society and begins from the Holy matrimony. Usefulness of any individual to the society, by and large, would depend upon what he learns at home from his parents. Healthy and peaceful families alone can create a peaceful and crime free society. Psalmist in Psalm 128 describes the characteristics of a model God fearing family and concludes with peace upon Israel. If a society has God fearing families, it will usher in peace upon the nation. For the peace of Israel and for that matter any nation, we need God fearing families. Most of the inmates in our prisons are from broken families. Kids from a God fearing healthy family are tomorrow’s nation builders.

God designed families to carry out His eternal purposes

God designed families to carry out His eternal purposes. Family is important because of its origin and usefulness. God designed the family to carry out his eternal plan and purposes in this world. So, it is important for us to transmit the spiritual heritage from one generation to another generation. Moses clearly instructed these things to the children of Israel. “These words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.” (Deut.6:6-7)

Family prayer, in the morning and evening, is a regular feature of a God fearing christian homes. In olden days they were considered as Bible teaching sessions. Father being the head of the family teaches the spiritual lessons to his children. Children get promotion without exams. Now a days in many families these healthy practices are vanishing; divorces and family break ups are the external manifestations of this serious spiritual malady.

Satan’s attack on families

Primary strategy of satan is to shatter the institution of marriage. From the beginning, he has been targetting families for the decimation of God’s purposes. He knows very well that God’s eternal purposes revolve around spiritual family. So, he attacked family in the garden of Eden, during Noah’s time, later on at the time of Lot. In all these cases divine wrath fell upon the family breakers. These days satan is violently attacking this holy institution because he knows that he has but a short time. He made the authorities to redefine the marriage itself. Same sex marriages are legalized. Divorce, abortion and transgenderism are all his devices to destroy the families In the light of these modern trend, believers need to be very very vigilant. David was a mighty man in the battlefield but in family front he failed miserably. David loved his children so much that he failed to discipline them. Both Absalom and Adonijah became spoiled children because of ‘excessive love’ of their father. Read how scripture speaks about discipline of David. “…his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, why hast Thou done so?” (1King 1:6) David gave Adonijah all the freedom to do whatever he liked. Whereas Job was a great father who interceded before God for his ten children ‘continually’. (Job. 1:5).

Four generation Strategy

Paul instructs Timothy, his spiritual son to transmit the spiritual truths which he learned from him to the faithful ones who can teach others. Paul had a “four generation strategy” in communicating eternal plan and purposes of God. Joel the prophet exhorts (Joel 1:3), to share God’s dealings with His people. “Tell you your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation”. Psalmist also narrates this “four generation strategy “. “I will utter dark sayings of old: which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come, the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has done……which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children” Ps.78:2-7.

World renowned family counselor and author of many books on Family Dr. James Dobson in one of his books, *explains this four generation strategy from the history of his own family. Dr. James Dobson’s great grandfather constantly prayed for four generations and God answered his prayer. All his four generations inherited the spiritual heritage and James Dobson was belonging to that fourth generation. Dr. James Dobson and his wife Shirley similarly fasted and prayed for their children one day in a week. God honored their prayer. Knowledge on parenting techniques is no guarantee that our children will walk in the ways of God. The last exhortation of our Savior to the daughters of Jerusalem before the crucifixion is to weep for their children. With prayers and tears, let us pass on the spiritual baton from generation after generation; that is the ultimate purpose of Family.

By Dr. Koshy Mathew

Taken from Harvest Times July 2020 Edition