Pass it on

There’s a song that we sing at our church called “Pass it on.”  And no, this is not the “Pass it on” from the church choral books of 25 years ago (does anyone still remember that song?)

Anyway, it says,

Every generation
They will tell their children
Of Your awesome power
And Your mighty acts

They will tell the stories
Of Your faithfulness and glory

And we will pass it on
To all who’ve yet to come

How You are slow to anger
And so rich in love

That all may celebrate
The wonders You have done

Giving You glory and honor
Blessing and praise

Together we’ll pass it on
The greatness of Your ways

I suppose working in children’s ministry as long as I did (7 years or so), the song resonates in my heart: this need to pass on our knowledge of God to the next generation that they may know him too.

And that was the command of God to the Israelites.  He said,

Impress [my commands] 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….

In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?”  tell him:

“We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 

Before our eyes the Lord sent miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. 

But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. 

The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.  

And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.” (Deuteronomy 6:20-25)

What’s really sad is that the Israelites never really did this. 

Instead, as the next generation grew up, they quickly fell into idolatry and all sorts of sin. (Judges 2:10-13).

How about us?  Are we passing on what we know of God, our experiences with him, what he’s done for us, with our children so that they may know him too?

It’s so easy to just let it slide.  To give that responsibility to Sunday school teachers.  To hope that somehow our kids will find Jesus without our having to say a word. 

But Sunday school teachers only have our kids for an hour or so a week.  We have them all week. 

And we don’t have commands in the Bible telling Sunday school teachers to teach our children about God (although I strongly believe in the need for this). 

God has commanded the parents to do this.  It is a responsibility God has given us. 

And if we shirk that responsibility, if we try to “pass it on” to others, can we really be surprised when our kids walk away from God?

So let us do the job that God has given us.  To teach our children about him.  To tell them what he has done in our lives.  To teach them how they too can have a relationship with him. 

Let’s pass on what we know to them so that they may know him too.