The second half of Ezekiel 20 starts with these words: “Don’t do what your parents did”. That sounds like a parenting failure to me. Ezekiel calls out a couple of the issues that these people had passed on to their kids:
1. Don’t take up their practices.
2. Don’t make yourselves filthy
Obviously the parents were not walking with God and it was impacting their kids. Hello – whether you like it or not that is what happens when you are a parent. Your kids pick up all your bad traits and few of your good ones, at least that is how it seems at times. But it is not really the case. They learn a lot more than they will ever admit until they are in their twenties. Then the old parents start to get a lot smarter and how they did things maybe even starts to become the pattern their kids follow. That is God’s plan for the family. But it is predicated on good parents. It is designed first for two parents – which is why marriage is so important to God. It is not something we should take lightly. God designed His plan around that. And He also designed His plan around two parents who are deeply engaged in leading and loving their kids. Our world is in the condition it is today because of parents, not the kids. People complain that kids are no good – they are not respectful or obedient etc. Guess where that comes from. Guess whose fault that is. The adults need to step up and be adults. We need to focus on walking with God, building our marriage, teaching our kids and living in God’s economy the way He designed it. Until we do, bad things will continue to happen. God made it clear to the people it will end His way: “I will be King over you…. you’ll realize that I am GOD”. It isn’t a matter of if He will reign. It is a matter of when. We need to make sure it happens sooner than later, certainly in my life and yours. Now is the time to put Him on the throne and that starts in my life today. Is He on the throne in yours?
