Friday, July 4, 2014

I Miss the Good Ole Days…

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.  Joshua 24:15

There was a time when life was so much simpler than it is now.  Those were the days of my childhood.  Oh there were some dark parts of my childhood that I don’t choose to remember but I think that makes the good times so much more memorable.  Fourth of July was always one of those good days at my house.  It was one of those days that, no matter what else was going on, it just seemed to get put on hold for that day.  It was a day to celebrate, a day to eat good food and a day to be with family.  This holiday always makes me think of my family and American heritage.

Some of my fondest memories of both childhood and my adult years are of July 4th celebrations.  Gathering together and watching fireworks, eating great food and enjoying my favorite people. These were the best of times because of the traditions of my family and my heritage.  Traditions are an important part of our heritage.  Traditions make us each unique and they make each family unique.  They are the “icing on the cake”, the one little difference that sets one family apart from another.  Sure, many families share the same traditions, especially around the holidays, but many families may have one little tweak that sets them apart from others. 

July fourth is the day we celebrate our freedom and our heritage as American citizens, but every day we can celebrate our Christian heritage and the freedom we have in Christ.  Just as American independence was bought and paid for with many sacrificed lives, our Christian heritage and freedom was paid for through the sacrificed body and blood of Jesus Christ.  So, today we have a double heritage and twice the freedom to celebrate!!

A Christian Heritage
The family holiday traditions and heritage that we have now will be precious memories to our children someday, but the most important thing we can give our families is a godly heritage.  This country was founded on biblical principles and our families should be no different.  Decide from the beginning that the Lord will be the center of your family and the cornerstone of your family foundation.  If you are not at the beginning of your family, it is not too late to start.  You may still have grandchildren that you can influence even if your kids are all grown.  When families pray together and seek the Lord in all things, the family bond is stronger.  It may not be a “circle round and hold hands” prayer over every detail but when everything is weighed in light of the Lord, it makes a difference, including T.V. shows, movies, music, internet, magazines, etc. 

Be sure to tell your children what God has done for you, how He has blessed you and about His faithfulness, in good times and bad.  Tell them your salvation story, how you were saved and now you are free from sin and that God paid the price with the life of His own son.  Tell them of God’s amazing grace when we humble ourselves before Him.  Tell them He gives mercy when we don’t deserve it.  Also, tell your children and grandchildren of the future you hope for them in the Lord.  Let them know that God has special plans and purposes for their lives and you are excited about seeing it all come to pass.  Read the bible and pray with them to give them the tools and the heritage to take with them.  If our children and their children after them go on to love the Lord and serve him, then we have done our job well and we have passed on the heritage that Jesus paid for with His life!  The most important heritage we can give our children and grandchildren is faith in the promises of God. 


Scripture to Claim:
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. 
Deuteronomy 6:6-9

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