As a child, my parents hosted many events in our home whether it was having friends over for dinner or having our family over during the holidays. We learned at a young age that in order for our home to be prepared for our guests, each of us had to help out with groceries, cooking and/or cleaning. Honestly, as a kid, I may have preferred to do anything besides work. But the truth is that I loved working alongside my mom in the kitchen. Not only did I learn how to cook, but it was a great time of conversing between us. And I cultivated a love for hospitality … serving guests, chatting with them and being enriched by the sweet time of fellowship.

So once my husband and I began our own family, we were in agreement about the desire to host get-togethers because it truly is a joyful endeavor for us. Now it’s my turn to ask my dear family to pitch in and I am so grateful to see us working together and ultimately, enjoying our guests.

After our most recent event, I was thanking my sweet family for their help and I began thinking about my children and their future. Have we cultivated a joy for hospitality? Will they have the same desire to host as we had from watching our parents? It may sound trivial, but it led to another thought.

When reading through the book of 2 Chronicles, we learn about the history of David’s royal line beginning with his son Solomon. His reign as king included building the temple in Jerusalem and being the wisest, wealthiest king who ever lived. After Solomon’s death, he was succeeded by his son Rehoboam as king. Chapter 10 tells us how he rejected the advice of the elders who served his father and “had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.” Further reading introduces us to every successor, some who “did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord” (14:2) and “walked in the way of his father” (20:32) and some who “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (21:6) and “abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their fathers, and worshipped … idols.” (24:18)

I realized that we as parents cannot just hope that our children and their children will serve God wholeheartedly. It requires us to be intentional. To do so, pray for your children to know God and to make Him known. Teach them from His Word by reading it together, discussing what it means and also, how it can be applied to our lives. Tell them your story, that is what the Lord has done in your lives and how He has helped you through all the ups and downs as the Israelites were instructed to in Deuteronomy 6:6-9. Just as we find the apostle encouraging and empowering young Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:11-21, we must do the same with our children. Likewise, we must have the courage to correct our children and equip them as Aquilas and Priscilla did with the new convert Apollos in Acts 18:24-28. Ask the Lord to live a life that emulates Him in being “forgiving … gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love.” (Nehemiah 9:17)

May the Lord help us to be faithful with what He has entrusted in our care and leave a godly legacy for our future generation.
~Joyce