A few years ago, I had the privilege of hearing members of The Greatest Generation speak about their service in World War II. One of the men stood up and said, "Well, we really aren't the greatest generation, we just did what we had to do. The real heroes were left behind." Of course he's right, but looking back at that era, I don't think Brokaw was wrong to keep the title, "The Greatest Generation." Though our Allies would have liked America to enter the war sooner, the fact remains that when the United States engaged after Pearl Harbor, we flew in with a full head of steam. The entire nation made sacrifices to make the war effort possible.
I'd like to see a generation rise up with a similar vision to sacrifice themselves for something noble, grand, and greater than themselves. I'd like to see a generation of believers willing to spend prudently, live sacrificially, pray fervently, preach boldly, and travel broadly to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ in the cozy confines of backyard cookouts as well as in the steaming heat of a Central Asian marketplace.
My thoughts in this direction were recently stirred by a booklet put together by Ed Moll and Tim Chester, Gospel-Centered Family: Becoming the Parents God Wants You to Be. Listen to Moll and Chester:
So being a gospel-centered family is about what you do 'inside' your family, but it's a whole lot more than that. A family that's turned inwards is not a gospel-centered family. The gospel is good news. It's a message we share with others, beginning with our neighbours and extending to the ends of the earth (Acts 1 v 8).
I love how they put that. It is easy for families to be sound doctrinally, consistent in family worship, regular at church, but lacking a burning desire to see the lost around them confronted by the good news of Christ. Certainly a family that is striving to make Christ the center of it all will be outward focused.
Moll and Chester argue that we are not helping inculcate in our children the understanding that we are here to make the good news known. They insist that many parents are so prone to build their lives around their children that their children conclude they must be the center of it all, not Jesus. And, as a result, Moll and Chester insist, "In the west we are perhaps creating one of the most indulged generations ever."
This is something worth thinking about. What is the tone, the tenor of our families, of ourselves? Are we reminding our kids of the opportunity they have to live for the sake of others--whethey they become doctors, lawyers, plumbers, or stay-at-home moms? Are we reminding ourselves that the Great Commission is for us? Or, are we contributing toward the creation of The Most Indulged Generation?
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