Monday, October 10, 2022

Pieces of the Parent

Monday, October 10, 2022

‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.  But he does not excuse the guilty.  He lays the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.’  Numbers 14:18

DNA is hardly refutable.  From color of our hair, skin, and so many other physical characteristics, to mannerisms, voice, and aging, we pass-along who we are.  The other day I leaned over to my bride and said:  When did we become our parents?  During the time when our children were teens, I would make a call to the house to talk with Elizabeth.  If Jennifer (our oldest) would answer, for the better part of a ten minute conversation I’d have no clue that the voice belonged to our child, not her mother.  That is well-documented stuff, and palatable (on the positive side); it sometimes even makes us laugh. 

What’s not so clear (nor palatable) is the Scripture verse.  Having the children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren pay for the sins of the parent, seems more than a little unfair!  The picture of a child, constructed entirely of pieces of the parent is a chilling reminder of the responsibility we bear as parents, to instill the best of what God gives us in our children. 

And it’s not just what we do, but how it is done.  The old adage is just as chilling:  Children learn what they live with.  Our poor behavior can tip the scales in the opposite direction of what we intended.  Another old saying comes to mind here:  Do what I say, not what I do.  Truth be told, that threadbare dog will not hunt.  Your children are much more apt to do what you do, than what you tell them.

The suspicion that the Scripture is slanted towards being “unfair” is nonetheless true.  It is so with everything in the natural realm.  A stone tossed in a lake will make ripples that never end.  A tree falling in a forest makes a thud that vibrates.  All actions have corresponding and equal reactions.  And, if you jump out of an airplane at 10,000 feet without a parachute, the gravity of the situation will become clear (and painful). 

Just as clear, and much more palatable, is the other side of that coin.  If slipping into untoward behavior (sin), is damning to your children, grands, and more, then the opposite (repentance and obedience) can be just as healing.  And there is only one obstacle standing between the parent who has behaved poorly, and beginning the healing process for the offspring:  the parent’s pride.

The greatest example of this paradigm is King David.  David’s self-absorbed behavior with Bathsheba, including lust, adultery (bordering on rape), conspiracy, and the cover-up that took integrity apart in his soul, nearly destroyed not only his kingdom, but (more importantly) his relationship with God.  When the prophet, Nathan, finally unearthed what David had tried to bury, the king broke, and confessed openly.  The damage to David’s children was severe – they were following in his footsteps…pieces of the parent.  But his transparent confession became his legacy.

For You Today

Let’s let apostle Paul have the last word today about a life principle that will always be the higher ground for parenting and living a purposful, holy life:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Philippians 4:8

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO (read by author)

There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

Mary's Confusion   and   How Was Your Weekend?

[1] Images:  via Reddit.com (copyright restrictions unknown)   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©   

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