Dear Tabernacle Family,
A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22 (NKJV)
Becoming a father has brought this Bible verse to life for me. It has become a driving force in how I live, work and spend my resources. In everything I do now, I’m reminded by God’s Word. Am I leaving an inheritance for my grandchildren?
There is an Iroquois philosophy called the Seventh Generation Principle. This principle states the decisions someone makes today should result in seven generations of sustainability. Benjamin Franklin even considered this principle as a contributing influence on the American Constitution. Our founding fathers were moved by the Iroquois system of government. Whether knowingly or not, this principle shares much of the Biblical wisdom that King Solomon shares with us in the book of Proverbs.
Sadly, much of our culture today has rejected this Biblical wisdom of living with a generational worldview. Today’s sentiment is to take advantage of what’s in front of you and don’t worry about the consequences that will be left behind. This is often short sighted and I believe in many areas of culture/society we can point to circumstances where we are dealing with the effects of this type of living. What would happen if the church rejected the hedonistic lifestyle that culture is promoting and began to look at the world through the Biblical wisdom of King Solomon? Would we see failing churches, buildings in disrepair due to lack of financial resources and constant splits and divisions?
The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, Psalm 24:1a (NKJV)
When we align ourselves with God’s Word and recognize that every decision we make has lasting ramifications, we are able to build a legacy that not only sustains our children and our children’s children, but creates a continuing platform that God can build from strength to strength, Glory to Glory!
I pray that as a church, we seek this Biblical lifestyle of generational living and blessings.
With love,
Pastor Joshua Ogle