Following the Trail of God's Promises: The 40-Day ChallengeSample

17. Concern for Our Offspring

In Genesis chapter 24, we read about Abraham's desire that his son, Isaac, have a wife from their homeland because, according to God's promise, He would give the land to his descendants. That is why Abraham's concern went so far that he asked the servant to promise that he would not look for a wife from another nation, but only from his own kinsmen.

When we think about caring for our descendants, we can direct our thoughts in two ways: as parents towards our offspring or as believers towards the younger generations. What is the role of parents towards their offspring? What behaviors and characters do children see in their parents? What kind of example of faith do we show and leave to the younger generations in the church? How much is Abraham's concern for posterity related to this? If we look at relationships with offspring in terms of a garden, how do gardeners take care of a garden? Do we water it or just plant it and let it grow wild? In caring for offspring, the kind of examples we set are important - whether they are seeds of joy and encouragement or of anxious worries and bitterness - because these are our impressions that leave a mark on our descendants.

God's love of acceptance and encouragement are glimmers that are reflected through the lives of parents - physical and spiritual. This is how our offspring will be able to build a life based on the biblical verses, “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, And do not ignore your mother’s teaching; For they are a graceful wreath for your head and necklaces for your neck.” (Proverbs 1:8-9)