Jehoshaphat “walked in the way of his father Asa and did not depart from it, doing right in the sight of the Lord” 2 Chronicles 20:32.
Nadab “did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father Jeroboam” 1 Kings 15:26.
“Ahaziah … did evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and the way of his mother….” 1 Kings 22:51-52.
“The apple does not fall far from the tree.”
But everyone makes choices. Children are often independent; consider the families of our recent presidents. Some children rebel, forever separating them from the paths of their parents (for example, Ron Reagan and Patti Davis). Others align their lives with those of their parents (Maureen and Michael Reagan).
What do most children do? Most take the path of least resistance—which often lands the apple close to the tree. The easiest thing in life is probably to grow up to be like your parents, “more or less.”
But we avoid HARD DECISIONS until life thrusts them upon us. If you have high-achieving parents, you probably will not reach their level of achievement without a lot of suffering—because no one makes tough commitments until suffering drives them to it. You don’t get serious about your grades until you are in danger of failing, for example.
Some of your children will follow your example. Some will not. You can’t control their decisions. Your children will choose their own path.
What can you control? Your EXAMPLE.
All you can do is walk with the Lord and pray your children choose the best path. Some will follow the lives of godly parents closely. Some will rebel. Perhaps most will be lazy and lukewarm, but will do okay because of the momentum of the generation that came before.
And what can be done about the lazy and lukewarm? PRAY. Pray for those children to move from lives of simply “clean living” to lives that are SOLD OUT to Jesus, wholly devoted to Him, as in Romans 12:1-2.
“I urge you, brethren, in view of the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” Romans 12:1-2.
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