When I was a boy, I marveled at the faithfulness and work ethic of the older people in my town and in my church. Never did they miss work often working long hours; never did they miss a service at church even when the weather was bad; and never did I hear them complain. They weathered the storms of life as if they were wiping off snow from their coat. They would then have the time and energy to help people in need with meals or labor without the aid of any trending social media post – because they knew their neighbors. This they did with all stores closing by 9pm and usually closed on Sundays; no internet; no mobile phones; and no worry over the latest media induced panic.
Sure, they had problems, setbacks and losses. But there was no excuse making; no reliance on the government to take care of them; no blaming anyone or anything for their hardships – at least not in my church, not in that small town that I grew up in. No, these people worked hard while looking to God and trusting Him to supply their needs. Even the people who didn’t go to church loved their country, loved their freedom, and knew the importance of self-reliance.
You see, most of them either were kids in the depression and fought in World War II or supported the war from home. Many others grew up in those years and saw the harm that true fascism, socialism, and communism had caused in hundreds of countries around the world. They understood that the things they had could be easily taken away and therefore valued every blessing.
Now, maybe I am naïve. Perhaps I had rose colored glasses on at the time and did not or could not see all the troubles that they actually had or the stress they were truly under. PERHAPS THAT IS RIGHT, PERHAPS NOT. Either way, they were the example that they were supposed to be for me and for my generation of the character I should strive for.
Today, I desire to be like those people I watched as a boy. I want to be that example to the next generation. I want to support my church because it is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15). I want to continue to love my country, supporting the government when it does well, calling it out when does poorly; and loving my countrymen. I want to be that person that bears my burdens well so that I can be able to help bear the burdens of others. I want to be an example of hard work, determination, sacrifice, and service to the next generation as those folks I grew up around were to me. I want to show the importance of having a consistent walk with God; faithfulness to my church; and be a good citizen in my country. I want to stand for God, stand for right, and stand for freedom.
O God, help me to stand up and be faithful for my generation and be an example for the next!
God, Help Me to Be Faithful for My Generation!
When I was a boy, I marveled at the faithfulness and work ethic of the older people in my town and in my church. Never did they miss work often working long hours; never did they miss a service at church even when the weather was bad; and never did I hear them complain. They weathered the storms of life as if they were wiping off snow from their coat. They would then have the time and energy to help people in need with meals or labor without the aid of any trending social media post – because they knew their neighbors. This they did with all stores closing by 9pm and usually closed on Sundays; no internet; no mobile phones; and no worry over the latest media induced panic.
Sure, they had problems, setbacks and losses. But there was no excuse making; no reliance on the government to take care of them; no blaming anyone or anything for their hardships – at least not in my church, not in that small town that I grew up in. No, these people worked hard while looking to God and trusting Him to supply their needs. Even the people who didn’t go to church loved their country, loved their freedom, and knew the importance of self-reliance.
You see, most of them either were kids in the depression and fought in World War II or supported the war from home. Many others grew up in those years and saw the harm that true fascism, socialism, and communism had caused in hundreds of countries around the world. They understood that the things they had could be easily taken away and therefore valued every blessing.
Now, maybe I am naïve. Perhaps I had rose colored glasses on at the time and did not or could not see all the troubles that they actually had or the stress they were truly under. PERHAPS THAT IS RIGHT, PERHAPS NOT. Either way, they were the example that they were supposed to be for me and for my generation of the character I should strive for.
Today, I desire to be like those people I watched as a boy. I want to be that example to the next generation. I want to support my church because it is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15). I want to continue to love my country, supporting the government when it does well, calling it out when does poorly; and loving my countrymen. I want to be that person that bears my burdens well so that I can be able to help bear the burdens of others. I want to be an example of hard work, determination, sacrifice, and service to the next generation as those folks I grew up around were to me. I want to show the importance of having a consistent walk with God; faithfulness to my church; and be a good citizen in my country. I want to stand for God, stand for right, and stand for freedom.
O God, help me to stand up and be faithful for my generation and be an example for the next!
- Pastor Mark Sage