A Legacy of Faith
Jo Acharya | September 9, 2024
Exodus 20:5 says this: “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (NIV)
Wow. At first glance this seems incredibly harsh. Does God really punish children and grandchildren for what their parents and grandparents did? But as I ponder it I begin to think it’s a true expression of how God has designed the world to work.
We do have an enormous impact on our children for both good and ill. Some of us inflict damage that takes three or four generations to untangle and release. Some of us are working to break unhealthy patterns or cycles of sin that have been passed down through generations of our families. It’s hard work. We’re affected by each other, and that’s how God has designed it.
But there’s good news here too. Our efforts to love and serve Jesus and express the character of his wonderful Kingdom – these have an impact too, and will reverberate down the generations not for decades but for hundreds, even thousands of years.
The truth is, most of us are a mix of these two pictures. We all have areas of sin and brokenness in our lives. And if we trust Jesus, we are also doing our best to be faithful, and being changed to reflect his image more fully. We are broken people moving towards wholeness, sick people moving towards healing. And God’s mercy and compassion are bigger than any mess we’ve created. Even our failures can be gloriously transformed in the light of his grace.
Our faithfulness will bloom as a legacy in the lives of our children, and their children, and their children’s children. Even if we’re not parents (as I’m not!) I believe that legacy will move outwards to those we know and love, because we are made to be connected by the God who brings beauty from ashes and new life from dry bones.
God’s promise in this verse is that the wholeness outlasts the brokenness. The healing outlasts the sickness. The blessing outlasts the curse.
If you’re in need of encouragement, click here to check out my devotional journal ‘Refresh’ . It’s a gentle companion for anyone who’s weary, struggling or looking for a fresh way to meet with God.
