The Power of Personal Faith
As I reflect on the words of Ezekiel 18:20, I am reminded of the importance of individual accountability: “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”
A Personal Struggle
My own life has been a testament to this truth. Growing up, my father, a good man in many ways, was an agnostic. Despite my efforts to share my faith with him as he lay dying from lung cancer, he refused to consider the existence of God. His passing was a difficult blow, but it was nothing compared to the pain I felt when my oldest son renounced his faith in his mid-thirties. I had mistakenly assumed that raising him in the faith would guarantee his devotion to God.
Breaking Free from Familial Ties
But as I struggled to come to terms with their decisions, I realized that I couldn’t let their unfaithfulness define my own relationship with God. The Bible is filled with examples of godly parents who had wayward children, and conversely, wicked parents who raised faithful offspring. Ultimately, each of us has the freedom to choose or reject God, regardless of our family dynamics.
A Heavenly Father
Our relationship with God is not dependent on the beliefs of our loved ones. We are spiritual children of our heavenly Father, and it is this family bond that matters most. As we navigate the complexities of family relationships, we must remember that our faith is not tied to the choices of others. Instead, we are one-on-one with our Father in heaven, free to make our own decisions about our relationship with Him.
A Prayer for Strength
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us enough to give us the gift of free will. Please grant us the strength to remain faithful, even when those we love choose a different path. May our example of devotion be a beacon of hope for those around us, and may we never waver in our commitment to You. Amen.
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