Around the time of ANZAC Day, we often tell our children the stories of their ancestors who served in war. We dust off old portraits and medals to show them and try to pass on a sense of gratitude and reverence for all that our forebears had to fight for and endure. We help our children research their family history for school projects, taking note of who served where and when, or who stayed home and what they did to help the war effort.
It is so important for the younger generations to hear and appreciate these stories, lest we forget the cost of the freedoms we enjoy. We must continue to tell them about our ancestors who recognised the threat of evil and bravely stood up to fight it. These stories encourage our children to be thankful for those who have gone before and to face the future with courageous determination to follow in their footsteps.
In the same way, it is important for us to tell our children the stories of their spiritual ancestors, who faithfully handed the gospel down. As the saying goes, Christianity is only ever one generation away from extinction. It takes a certain amount of courage and determination for each generation to communicate the good news about Jesus to the next. So let’s tell stories that will encourage our children to be thankful for those Christians who have gone before and to commit themselves to following in their footsteps.
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